The killing of the concept of new federal capital (I)

While implementing the city development plan, many plots of land were reserved for obvious reasons of strategic planning, in order to meet up with the anticipated future demands, for provisions of essential urban services. Despite the familiar pressures from highly influential personalities for land ownerships in highbrow areas and choice locations, all the previous presidents and FCT ministers never dared to violate very sensitive land from the commencement of physical developments in 1982. That was 46 years ago. They never capitulated and allowed the lands for use for contrary purposes due to the strong commitment in the protection of our national values.

When one stands on the N1 Arterial Road known as the Olusegun Obasanjo Way at the boundary between Wuse I and the Central Area District, facing the Central Area on both left and right, the expanse of land now cleared and made ready for developments of all kinds were all earmarked, either as green areas, or transportation facilities in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of the Phase I of the Federal Capital City.

The City plan is not independent of the natural physical feature of the vastness that constitutes the Gwagwa plains chosen for the city site. These include the hills, depressions and the stream channels serving as the natural drains. A very active and major stream traverses very sensitive area of the Central Area.

One of the elements of the development corridor plan is an open space structure based on a longitudinal parkway system, retention of the stream valley and watercourse network for both aesthetic and drainage purposes, and the preservation of the surrounding escarpments of hills and inselbergs which form the visual backdrop and major focal points within the city.

As principles of urban area planning, there is the use of constrains for opportunities. Land that has constrains of physical development due to availability of streams or being susceptible to flooding becomes advantageous to use for greening for aesthetics and recreations. At the same time, they are used as district storm drainage waterways and underground sewer lines.

Key major rivers are playing great and important roles in water supply and sanitation of the Federal Capital city. They include the Gurara, River Usuma, Wupa River, Wuye River and Zhidu Stream. The Wupa River is specifically significant in the drainage of the city centre area. The Wuye River traverses the Wuye District, contributing to the urban drainage network, particularly concerning waste and sewage affluent. Almost all the surface and storm runoffs were channeled by gravity before being drained away.

It must be worthy of note that the natural stream channels in central area are used as advantage for the actualisation of the waste water gravity collection model. The entire area to accommodate 1.6 million persons is located in a single drainage basin. Trunk sewers are constrained to locations near active stream channels, and smaller collectors laid as tributaries to the trunks without crossing natural divides.

Thus the objectives and rationale which the waste water collection system of city is based on, is the gravity collection. There is no lift stations, force mains, or other power devices. The system presents a number of advantages. Among others, it is low in construction cost, and the operational and maintenance costs are much lower than the pumped systems. Also, energy requirements are nil.

Areas tributary to each trunk were determined, based on developable versus undevelopable land. “Developable land” consists of areas for which development is either programmed or in which development might logically be allowed to take place at a later date. “Undevelopable land” consists of areas such as rock outcrops, parks and areas where development is to be prohibited.

Hence the classification of the entire length of the streams with the buffers as established as green areas and parks, in which developments are prohibited. It is also for the prevention of natural disasters due to flooding. A hundred years flood regime was considered to earmark the buffer zone along the stream channels.

The city land use plan was produced in consideration of all these elements. Residential, commercial, recreational, educational, health facilities, circulation, utility patterns, and all the others, were all determined and clearly shown on the plan.

Unfortunately, not minding the existing land use plan, sewer networks, and the potential floods areas, almost all these stream channels and their buffers were violated by the present administration, irrespective of the potential dangers. Wherever is expected for runoff to percolate or have its way down the stream will now be blocked by physical structures and surface paving. The repercussion of the violations would certainly emerge when the developments were effected

We can all recall the annual floods incidences around the city at the peak of rainy seasons. The notorious spots were all known. Many of them were being mitigated by massive demolitions of the physical structure that were built along the waterways. Yet, it never deter this government to embark on these wild and large scale violations.

Since the commencement of the Abuja project, after establishing the FCT Act, 50 years ago, there has never been a time that the plan experienced mega violations of mind boggling capacity than within the two years of the current government.

To be continued.

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