The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to demolish houses illegally constructed within the nation’s capital, no matter whose property will be affected.
Wike, who took his oath of office alongside 44 other newly appointed Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, gave the warning during a press briefing at the office of the FCT Minister in Garki, Abuja, on Monday.
The FCT Minister said houses that had been built to distort the Abuja Masterplan, as well as built on green areas, will also be demolished, no matter who it did or did not belong to.
“All those people who are distorting the Masterplan of Abuja, too bad. If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down.
“Be you a Minister of anywhere, be you an ambassador, if you know you have developed where you were not supposed to develop, your house must go down. Those who have taken over the green areas to build, sorry, our parks must come back, the green areas must come back. If you hate green, you must hate yourself,” Wike said.
While responding to questions as to whether his threatened demolition will be used as a form of vendetta against his enemies, Wike said, “Say the truth, you don’t like those who step on toes. I will step on toes.
“The big and mighty, I will step on them. If you are doing what is wrong, I will do what I am supposed to do,” he said, noting that his task was to return the FCT to what it used to be, rather than as a witch hunt against anyone.
“If you know anybody who is involved and has taken over the green areas or the parks to run restaurants…? No, we will not accept that. Sorry.”
