By Ben Atonko
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will this week move bulldozers to Lokogoma to remove structures that have stood on the way of water, Mr Anthony Ogunleye, Chief Press Secretary to FCTA has said.
Ogunleye said the Development Control Department will remove the structures to end perennial loss of lives and property in the area.
Lokogoma District housing numerous residential quarters in Abuja has been repeatedly hit by floods.
In statement to Viewpoint Housing News, Ogunleye said residents of Lokogoma who have been negatively impacted by the constant flooding incidents have welcomed government’s move to remove structures constricting the waterways.
He said the residents made their position known over the weekend during a tripartite meeting between FCTA officials, various estate developers in the district and off-takers (owners of the buildings).
Director of the Department of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima who led the FCTA team for the interface with the residents prior to expiration of the two-week vacation ultimatum earlier handed them, expressed delight that the affected residents were willing to comply.
After a tour of the affected areas, Galadima stated that all was set for the planned removal of all offending structures in the coming week.
Director of Development Control, FCTA Mukhtar Galadima (in baseball cap) interfaces with residents of Lokogoma District, Abuja
He said, “We are here because we promised to go along with the residents’ associations.
“The whole objective is to save lives and properties and we don’t pray for future occurrence of these unfortunate incidents. That’s why we are here this morning discussing with the residents’ associations.
“We moved from estate to estate and where we have constriction of the stream corridor, those structures identified are going to be captured and as earlier indicated we are coming back next week for proper implementation of that decision.”
Reminding them of how far to move away from the waterways, Galadima said, “This corridor of 20 meters either side of the river is not just out of the blues. It’s based on standards. At the end of the day, when this district is fully serviced, you will see this corridor being laid with cables, pipes for conveyance of sewer lines, water amongst other things.
“So, it’s not just that somebody just woke up and said it must be 20/20. It’s based on engineering standards.”
Ayodele Awosika, President of Pengassan Estate 1 which is one of the flood affected estates said the planned action by the FCTA is a welcome development, adding that “residents of the estate have been facing severe incidents of flooding due to the constriction of the river channel.”
According to him, “the level of water within the estate is unusually very high due to the diversion of the natural course of water flow, which makes it difficult for many residents in the estate to leave their houses whenever it rains.”
Vice Chairman Lokogoma Residents’ Association, Dauda Kya also expressed happiness with the planned removal of houses built on the waterways.
Dauda who noted that the buildings should not have been allowed to be erected in the first place, said they were glad that government was out remove structures.
“We have longed for this. That’s what necessitated all our agitations and various discussions with government. We are happy with this development,” he said.
Another off taker, Alhaji Habib Abdulaziz of Blue Millennium Estate said, “We’re looking at the waterway, given our experiences as residents and they are looking at it from a professional angle and merging all these things together to see how we can tackle this problem once and for all because it helps no one if it keeps happening.
“A lots of things have gone down the drain, but then we are looking toward finding a permanent solution to this problem.”
It would be recalled that the directive for the interface was given following the visit of the residents to the FCTA, where they were received by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Chinyeaka Ohaa, who informed them that the planned removal of illegal structures in Lokogoma will certainly go ahead at the expiration of the two-week notice earlier given in order to save lives and property.
