As it relates to new settlements in Makurdi, it is obvious that compromise of access roads and water channels which have been unchecked for years has robbed Makurdi Township of its beauty and thrown it back to pre-modern days aside compounding the flooding crises among others problems.

It appears we have no government agencies responsible for checking these anomalies. Recently, we were greeted with news that Benue Urban Development Board has marked no fewer than 300 buildings that contravene law for demolition in Makurdi. This may appear to be a signal of return of sanity to urban planning and development which was since bereft of any genuine control in tandem with modern urban planning/development.

But we should not celebrate yet. It may just be the usual ritual of marking and later allowing construction to continue or building to remain standing even if relevant laws are contravened. Pertinent posers are:
1. When were the buildings marked? Because there are many such houses and fences marked since 10 to 15 years back and are still standing? How long does demolition process/procedure take? It is not that we desire demolition for ourselves or others but lack of sanction has been a great source of encouragement to contraveners.

2. Is the demolition going to be holistic? If so, there are many houses and fences still standing on access roads and water channels in some of the areas mentioned that have not been marked. If indeed it will be holistic, shouldn’t it be a sigh of relief for the voiceless settlers in some of the settlements where access roads have been completely taken over by unreasonable, wicked and sacred cows thereby locking up the inhabitants of such settlements?

3. Is this drive not just a revenue drive in disguise? Because fears are that the board might just only restrict the contravention of law to “building approval” in which case, once affected persons regularize their buildings to get necessary approvals, blind eyes might be turned to the access road and waterway issues.

4. Does the board really have plans of all the various settlements in question? Because another agency, Land and Survey, it is that surveys and draws the plan. Does a copy of the plan go to the Benue Urban Development Board, saddled with responsibility of controlling development among others? If not how can the board accurately approve buildings without knowing whether such buildings are not or on access roads or water channels? Or the board relies only on the site plan provided by the owner of the building and which could be inaccurate?

While we wait to see, we can in anticipation, appreciate the Benue Urban Development Board for having woken up, after much harm has been done, to now take a position that building on water channels is wrong and requires sanction. We are hoping that this new position does not exclude condemnation and sanctions for erecting of buildings and fences on ACCESS ROADS, which is now the trend in Makurdi, thus revealing the failure of the relevant state agencies over time. This trend has clearly thrived on corruption and impunity.

For instance, most of the houses said to have been marked for demolition were marked over 10 to 15 years back without any action. Is that not encouragement to others to also contravene the relevant laws? Many new settlements in Makurdi now lack access roads, which were provided for and exist on the PLANS of such settlements. There exist beautiful houses in many of the new settlements but the owners lack access roads to them thus giving them a semblance of a slum. These all happening while we have the relevant agencies on ground supposedly working. Master plan of most of these settlements have been overly compromised. As a result, even some water ways and access roads are most likely not redeemable any longer.

The only settlements in Makurdi that were well laid out with controlled developments are WADATA, TOWN, QUARF QUARTERS, LOBI QUARTERS, HIGH LEVEL, WURUKUN, NORTH BANK, JUDGES QUARTERS. Aside Judges Quarters, which is a bit more recent, the others are all very old settlements with some having very poorly build houses and some like Wadata even considered to be a slum. Yet they are all well planned with very good access roads (save for maybe recent illegal erection of building following inviting signal of impunity). In these old settlements, houses were built on straight lines with precision allowing spaces for road, water channel, and sanitary lines in some places.

Those houses in the old settlements above were built when technology/knowledge had not advanced to what we have today. With all the present modern technology and increased knowledge, the relevant agencies cannot achieve or surpass what was achieved in the olden days in terms of controlled development of settlements vis-aviz observance of ACCESS ROADS AND WATER CHANNELS. What a shame! We now have better buildings/modern houses better than those in the older settlements but most of these new and modern houses have no access roads to them and in some areas, inhabitants are also battling with flood during rainy season because access roads and water channels have all been compromised with the relevant agencies watching.

Can we say the relevant agencies are not aware when buildings are erected? NO they always are. Proof is: the relevant agency marks most of these buildings at point of construction, asking the builders to stop work. This happens no matter where the building is. No matter how hidden the building is, it does not escape their watchful eyes. The marking could be because the houses in question secured no approval in the first place. The issues are later resolved, payments made and the construction continues. Whether the relevant agency while discharging its duty has the PLAN of such affected area(s) is another interesting question. In some cases, an obvious access road is fenced by untouchable figures and a whole settlement is locked up.


Part of what contribute to these problems are failure of relevant government agencies/ministry to open up the access roads in these settlements at the right time as well as abandonment of awarded contracts to build drainage on some identified water channels aimed at controlling flood.

In my view, the anomaly of compromise of access roads and water channels is a reflection of the corruption and impunity bedeviling Nigeria, where it appears systems don't work despite being in existence with all resources available (including supposedly well trained human resources). A failed state or failing state is not only one which is overtaken by arm insurrection but also one where systems don’t work.