By TPL Umar Shuaibu
Our recent discussions highlighting aspects of violations on Abuja City development programs especially on areas earmarked for greening and its dangers to the environment and overall wellbeing of the City, has generated many response with many important contributions. Some of them are hereby presented.
City Floods as the Repercussion of Land Use Violations
Are the conversions and redesign of green areas not carried out/approved by planners? If so, does it not mean that the violations are by planners?
Really sir. There has always been planners in the system. But depending on the disposition of the reigning Minister, the sanity of the system is determined. Unfortunately, many of the professionals in the system are not assertive enough to refute the violations of the procedures. Those that stood their grounds were unceremoniously removed. The immediate past Director of URP was a victim of that highhandedness.
Zone 6 pneighbourhood Park Conversion Saga
Well done. This will go into records that you spoke out loud when the evil on the set up and the environment FCC Abuja was being perpetrated by Nyesom Wike. The defacing of the plan is all over Phase I. Part of Zone 5 neighborhood on the same Accra Street Axis, just a little bit off it (between Zones 5 & 2) has been developed to terraces.
The low laying areas along the natural course of streams have been massively removed. Just take a drive on Olusegun Obasanjo Way, from Zone 1 towards CBD to Garki to appreciate the desecration of the rich flora and fauna in the low laying areas. These are the same terrains with huge sewage collection chambers. Ironically too, some of these fallow areas are reserved for future city facilities like Rapid Rail lines/Stations and Interchanges.
My take: The town planners’ professional body and genuine stakeholders of Abuja need to come together, do a survey, take stock and document all violations of the Abuja Master Plan that are taking place all over the FCC under the sanctioning and supervision of the current Administration.
Well done for this and all the beautiful works you have been doing to protect the sanctity and integrity of the FCC and its satellite towns
Hamza Yahaya
Wike doesn’t care and he doesn’t listen to this kind of narrative. The original intention of the green area is of less value to him, a man that has no respect to opinions and other people views all his life will continue to disregard a clear and laid down rules. The only thing that can stop his selfish agenda is court. Wike never reads such articles
Tpl. Enejo Ibrahim
It is a crime against humanity for any leader to allocate green belts in human settlements. Various researchers in the field of human settlement, urban and regional planning, geography, estate management, botany and environmental science have emphasized the importance of green belts in human communities. Our vehicles, industries and domestic activities in cities and towns produce carbon dioxide and, at times, carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are toxic and injurious to human beings if inhaled. It is this carbon dioxide that plants in green belts used in a process called photosynthesis to produce energy. That is why green belts (green infrastructure), as well as blue belts (blue infrastructure or water bodies) are important in brown infrastructure (build up areas).
Tpl. Nathaniel Atebije
Live protest and court action. Such protest should be carried out by APBN because injury to one is injury to all. Rights are not given but are taken by solidarity through struggles. It is high time we take a decision to protect our environment or allow our cities to perish. At the just concluded UN High powered meeting, Nigeria rolled out her new NDC in keeping with the Paris agreement but can we make this possible only through energy transition? It must be backed by nature based solutions and that makes the organized open spaces very important.
Tpl. Emmanuel Ikechuku
Gbam. Well written, my distinguish planner. Let our privilege leaders, insensitive professional and enemies of progress bury their heads in shame for allowing our green areas to be turn into brown, under the erroneous view that green areas are only land banks, potential economics space and technological experiment zones, without considering the carrying capacity of our environment space and the fact that the eco system is created to serve man and nature.
A systems view of planning should be adopted in our policy drafting, implementation and management.
Tpl. Achi Luka
This is a necessary and commendable approach!
Another approach is, I will suggest the Community Development Association or NITP-FCT sue the FCDA to court.
Tpl. Adepoju
Tpl. Umar Shuaibu has indeed been a commendable professional voice in the exposure of the infractions on the Abuja Master plan. We need more of our Planners to populate the needed advocacy against the bastardization of the Abuja Masterplan especially by authorities who are entrusted in the privileged position to protect it.
Tpl. David A Garnvwa
