The Senate of the National Assembly , has ordered the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to suspend the ongoing demolition of structures except those authorised by the court.
This is coming on the heels of an earlier walk out staged by Senator Ireti Kingibe representing the FCT, who was not allowed to table her motion initially by the Senate President on the ground that it wasn’t listed in the order papers.
The red chamber also constituted an eight-member panel chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, to probe the demolitions since the beginning of Wike’s administration.
The resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored by the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, during plenary.
Kingibe, in her motion, complained that demolition of buildings since the beginning of Wike’s administration was not in line with court processes.
The Senator also said the demolition has increased hardship among residents of the federal capital territory because many people have been rendered homeless.
She specifically cited the revocation of an estate around the Life Camp area of Abuja owned by late Paul Osa Ogbebor, a colonel.
Kingibe urged the red chamber to compel the federal capital territory administration to suspend the revocation of the estate, and also requested the suspension of all ongoing demolition of buildings in the FCT area.
The Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan, seconded Kingibe’s motion.
Apoti-Uduaghan urged the Senate to direct Wike to stop the demolition of structures in FCT and also constitute an ad hoc committee to probe the demolitions.
However, the Kogi West Senator, Karmi Sunday, stressed the need for the Senate to hear from the FCT Minister before taking any decision on the issue.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Oyelola Ashiru, said his colleagues did not have the right to stop Wike from bringing down buildings in the FCT.
“We cannot stop the minister from doing his work. He is cleaning the city,” he said.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said some of the buildings had been authorised by the court for demolition because they were illegal structures.
Akpabio said, “Some of the demolitions have been authorised by the court. If somebody built on the drainage and the court ordered that such buildings should be demolished, you cannot come up with a resolution to stop the order.”
Akpabio also urged his colleagues not to be emotional with the demolition of buildings in the FCT but to look at the reasons for the demolitions.
“Let us try not to be emotional with issues,” he added.
After a robust deliberation, the Senate President put the motion to vote and the majority of the senators supported it.
Akpabio subsequently asked the FCT minister to suspend ongoing demolition of buildings in Abuja except those authorised by the court for demolition.
He also constituted an ad hoc committee to liaise with the FCT administration over the issue.
Apart from Jibrin, who chaired the committee, other members of the committee are Sahabi Ya’u (PDP, Zamfara North), Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central), Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South), Oyelola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South), Agom Jaribe (PDP, Cross-River North), Mohammed Munguno (APC, Borno North) and Idiat Adebule (APC, Lagos West).
Meanwhile, Kingibe had earlier staged a walkout when she was prevented from presenting her motion.
Kingibe, had raised a point of order to allow her to present a motion mandating Wike, to suspend the ongoing demolition of structures in Abuja
The senator said she raised the issue during Wednesday’s plenary and that Akpabio directed her to present it on Thursday at plenary to enable the senators to have extensive debate on it.
Kingibe actually raised the motion as directed but she was prevented from presenting it because it wasn’t contained on the order paper as stipulated by the rules of the Senate.
Akpabio asked her why the motion wasn’t on the order paper and Kingibe explained that she submitted the draft of her motion to the rules and business of the Senate, so it could be captured on Thursday’s order paper.
Responding to the issue, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Titus Zam, said his office didn’t receive any draft of the motion from Mrs Kingibe.
Amid the argument, Kingibe packed her belongings on the table and walked out of the chamber angrily.
Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong, Oyelola Ashiru, Mr Zam and others approached the Senate President to allow Kingibe to go ahead with her motion.
Akpabio then directed the Abia Central Senator, Augustine Akobondu and Lagos West Senator, Idiat Adebule to inform Kingibe to return to the chamber for her motion to be addressed.
After about five minutes, Kingibe walked into the chamber.
The Senate President, however, ordered her to apologise to other senators for walking out angrily on them when the issue was still under consideration.
Kingibe initially refused to apologise but later succumbed to pressure after the Senate President insisted on her apology.
