150 buildings demolished, more to go over flooding in Abuja

By Stanley Onyekwere

Following increased flooding in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) resulting to deaths and loss of property, more buildings are to be demolished to open up blocked waterways, to ease the flow of rain water.
Already, in furtherance of the intensified effort to clear obstructions of waterways, 150 buildings have been demolished in the nation’s capital, to curb the menace.
This was disclosed by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa at a stakeholders’ forum on flood mitigation and response coordination held yesterday, in Abuja.
Ohaa however bemoaned that despite repeated sensitisation and awareness programmes, many residents still dump waste in drainages and other prohibited locations, which result in constriction or blockage of waterways.
“So far, 150 of such structures have been removed in furtherance of the on – going exercise to clear obstructions of waterways, in line with the Abuja city plan.
“The FCT Administration will continue to remove structures constructed in violation of relevant laws and further complicate our flood risk,” he stressed.
He also urged the committee to to come up with watertight preventive and response strategies against the impending flood and also proffer durable solutions to the issue of recurrent flood in the FCT.
Also speaking, the Director General, FCT Emergence Management Agency (FEMA), Idriss Abbas noted that recent flooding in the FCT has become a serious threats and gives cause for concern.
Abbas said the information from NIMET, River Niger at Lokoja level will overflow, which started since July to exceed the normal water level, this according to him puts FCT at risk, because of its proximity to Lokoja.
He reiterated that urban flooding has become persistent in the FCT due to buildings on waterways.