It is no longer news that year-in, year-out, destruction follows rainstorms. The recent flooding in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has brought fears and anxiety to the residents. ADEMOLA ADEGBITE, who visited one of the affected areas, Logokoma District, reports.
RESIDENTS of popular Lokogoma District of the nation’s capital, Abuja, seem to be more ruffled than other residents, due to the flooding in the area, which has always claimed lives, throwing families and loved ones into sorrow.
The district said to host a cluster of over 50 different mega private estates has always had a bitter taste of the flooding. It was gathered, however, that most of the estates there were developed on waterways.
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Meanwhile, the residents are currently living in fears and anticipation of greater repercussion when the rain sets in fully. They could not sleep again with their eyes closed in order not to be caught in the web of unexpected flooding which normally followed downpour.
In July, 2017, the flood swept a family of three into eternal oblivion. The death of a man, his daughter and son was yet to be erased from the minds of the residents, who are still faced with uncertainties.
Over two years after, flooding visited the area again, washing a 17-year-old boy and valuables worth several millions of naira away. The residents are now afraid that if the early rain could be heralded by such destructive flooding that caused death and loss of property, there might be danger ahead.
While the parents of the 17-year-old victim of June 6, 2019 flooding were yet to recover from the trauma of the loss to give details of the occurrence, other concerned residents are beginning to kick.
As they remain in mourning mood over the loss of lives and properties in the estates, they were also panicky and worried as they have been informed that many of the buildings may have to be sacrificed as a permanent solution to the perennial flooding in the district.
Sunday Tribune, however, gathered that a ministerial committee set up by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration to look into the Lokogoma flooding had established that some developers in the district diverted the natural course of River Kabusa and also constricted the River of Wumba located around the environs.
Chairman, Lokogoma Property Owners and Residents Association, Dr Joseph Nnorom, was not just distraught that the district had lost human lives to the flooding, but was also displeased that properties that were developed with life savings of people might be demolished.
He called on FCT administration to punish government officials who approved that houses be built on waterways, and also demanded that adequate compensation plan be put in place for residents who might be affected by the demolition.
According to him: “I have heard that some houses had to be pulled down, therefore, the issue of compensation has to be put on the front burners. We need to understand how those people are going to be compensated.
“If it is established that the owners of the houses did not build with government’s approval, then the government and developers have to prove that. Otherwise, we will be punishing off-takers, who probably have invested their pension. Off-takers deserve not to lose their property without compensation,” Nnorom insisted.
Director, Department of Engineering Services, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engineer Ahmed Shehu Hadi, who confirmed that a 17-year old boy died due to the flooding, also insisted that the buildings on the waterways must be pulled down.
“The crisis at Lokogoma is a recurring issue. It was an issue that occurred in the later part of 2017, but from the period we had the flooding, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, led a team, including the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Mr Umar Gambo Jibrin, to the spots and what we noticed on ground was that properties were being developed on waterways, which has constricted two major rivers of Wamba and Kabusa.
“The FCTA has been determined on resolving these issues. There are two major issues that confronted us on Lokogoma. Lokogoma and its entire mass housing estates were cut off from Ring Road II, and then the issue of flooding. But first, the district must be accessed in and out. We had mobilised one of our major contractors to go and carry out emergency work to restore the major access into Lokogoma, because that is an arterial road- the like of Ahmadu Bello Way.
“The other portion the FCTA has a problem is that of encroachment. We have to take a decision. Water must have either course- it is a wise saying and it is also an engineering position.
“And if there are developments constricting waterways, it is only a matter of time; it will definitely find its way, and that is even worsening by the position of the two major rivers, converging at a confluence point, turning into one waterway, which also affected a second location.
“What we saw on sites are buildings clearly submerging along the water courses. We got Development Control Department (DCD) to mark out these illegal structures and to engage the residents to accept whether we have to allow these properties for which the authorities have an obligation to see to the protection of the FCT residents and for this, we have to remove these properties. At least, above any personal interest, so that the larger neighbourhood in Lokogoma estate can remain safer and that is what we are trying to do,” Hadi noted.