A motion seeking to investigate alleged land grabbing, demolitions, salaries, sewage disposals and other administrative issues in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) suffered a setback on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday after it was ruled procedurally defective.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Ireti Kingibe, was presented as a matter of urgent national importance under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate standing rules.
Further concerns raised in the motion included designation of green areas under the Abuja Master Plan, intended as service corridors for sewage, water and electricity infrastructure, as well as environmental buffers, are being built on through illegal revocations, forced evictions and reallocations.
Kingibe stated that the Senate had barely a year ago, intervened and called the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to order over related issues bordering on unlawful land administration, disregard for due process and encroachment on legally vested land rights, noting with concern that despite such prior legislative intervention, the same practices persist.
However, the upper chamber declined to debate on it, declaring that it did not meet the requirements for urgency as stipulated by the rules.