By Damian Ugwu
The new Minister for the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike last Monday threatened to demolish any building that contravenes the Abuja master plan.
Addressing the media shortly after his inauguration as substantive minister by the president, Wike sent shock waves down the spine of many residents of Abuja by declaring that he would step on toes to ensure that he restores the master plan of Abuja. “If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down. Be it a minister of anywhere, be it an ambassador… if you know you have developed where you are not supposed to, your house will go down” he declared. It was revealed a few days later that the proposed mass demolitions would impact approximately 6,000 buildings in 30 areas of the FCT.
The FCT Minister’s threat of forced eviction must be taken seriously and addressed immediately. It is imperative that steps be taken to prevent any potential harm or injustice caused by such actions.
The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated, and it is crucial that all parties involved take responsibility and work towards a satisfactory resolution.
In my opinion, the proposed action is rushed and unwise, particularly considering the current economic challenges being faced by Nigerians. It would endanger many people in the FCT, and therefore should be carefully reconsidered.
More concerning is the minister’s stated intention to remove people from their homes without following procedural safeguards and offering them any alternative accommodation. This would amount to forced eviction, which is a violation of international human rights law.
While I admit that the federal government and the FCT authorities have the right to ensure that buildings and businesses are constructed within the stipulated guidelines, they must do so in a way that respects the human rights of those affected. This includes providing adequate notice of any proposed eviction, conducting an impact assessment study, and providing alternative accommodation to those who are impacted.
About 2 million Nigerians have been forcibly evicted from their land or residence across Nigeria in the last 10 years. Many of these evictions were carried out in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. These forced evictions are often carried out by the authorities in disregard of their obligations under international and domestic laws, and in direct violation of court orders. In some cases, these evictions are often carried out with brutal force, often resulting in injury, death, massive destruction of property, homelessness, miscarriage, trauma, loss of livelihoods, separation of families, and children deprived of access to education.
Between 2003 and 2008, over 800,000 people were forcibly evicted from the FCT by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). The evictions were ostensibly carried out to implement the Abuja Master Plan, the infrastructural developmental blueprint for the Federal Capital, Abuja. However, since the creation of the FCT in 1979, the Government of Nigeria through the FCDA has failed to provide the requisite housing and infrastructure for the new capital. Housing that was provided was in many cases too expensive for many residents and workers who had migrated to Abuja, mainly from the former capital, Lagos.
Resettlement schemes for communities that were losing their lands to the FCT were also inadequate. These failures led to the growth of numerous informal settlements, distorting the intentions of the Abuja Master Plan.
According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Malam El-Rufai, as the FCT minister, displaced about 700,000 people and destroyed an estimated 200,000 properties during his tenure between 2003 and 2007. The commission found that the demolitions were carried out without adequate notice, without providing alternative accommodation, and without compensation for those who were displaced. The body also said that the demolitions were often carried out in a violent and discriminatory manner.
Against this background, I find the recent threat by Nyesom Wike to be rash and insensitive. When the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing, Leilani Farha, visited Nigeria in 2019, she stated that forced evictions should only be carried out in the most exceptional circumstances, and only when all other options have been exhausted. She also said that when forced evictions are unavoidable, they must be carried out in a way that minimizes the negative impact on those affected.
What the minister ought to do is to immediately halt his plans for mass evictions and establish a moratorium on demolitions until adequate regulations are in place to ensure that evictions comply with international human rights standards. The minister and the FCT authorities should also carry out wide consultations with all affected people before any eviction is carried out. It is also necessary to conduct an Eviction Impact Assessment Study on all areas and houses proposed for demolition. Any person affected by a proposed eviction should be served adequate written notice, within a reasonable time, and adequately compensated when evicted
