FCTA demolishes 102 houses in Gwagwalada over flood disaster

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Tuesday, began the demolition of about 102 houses built on the waterway at Giri-Kpasere, in Gwagwalada Area Council of the territory, following last week’s flood disaster that claimed a family of five.

Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Department of Development Control (DDC), Garba Kwamkur, who addressed newsmen during the demolition, said with the recent forecast of more rains and consequential flooding that would affect the area, the government could not spare the houses anymore.

He lamented that the illegal houses have been marked for demolition for more than one year now, and that government had given them enough time to move out of the flood-prone areas.

Kwamkur noted the community was part of the land covering about 260 hectares allocated within the Abuja Master Plan for the development of the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, but some indigenous people and other squatters were staying there temporarily.

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According to him: “The university has written to us about the encroachment issue. The settlement here that is due for resettlement has grown beyond its boundary. And we have an issue of a flood sometime last week, where five persons, who were carried away by the flood, were confirmed dead.

“We actually had to discuss it with the village leaders on the need to move away from the flood plain area. FEMA has also predicted that there would be heavy flood this year, so we are doing something like a precautionary measure, that is why all the buildings along the flood plains will have to go.

“And all contravention notices have been given as far back as last year (2019). No government will sit down and do nothing when the lives of its citizens are being threatened by either flood or any other thing,” he insisted.

The Chief of the Community, Mr Isah Egari, who noted that he was not opposing the demolition of the houses built on a waterway, then appealed to the government to give the residents more time to move out from the affected places.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

FCTA demolishes 102 houses

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FCTA demolishes 102 houses