Reps ask FCT Minister tackle flooding, erosion in Nation’s Capital

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives asked the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Bello Muhammad to compel the estate developers, individuals within the nation’s capital to comply with building codes, regulations and specifications, especially the Lokogoma Community.
The House also mandated the Committees on Federal Capital Territory and FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters to investigate the matter and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
The House resolutions followed a motion on the Urgent Need to Address the Devastating Gully Erosion in Lokogoma Community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by Hon. Micah Jiba Yohanna.
The House noted that Lokogoma Community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is affected by an increasing gully erosion that resulted in the loss of farmlands, vegetation and loss of lives.
It recalled that sometime in 2017 a torrential rainfall which started around 7 am and lasted for about four hours submerged a bridge and a vehicle conveying three family members plying the road.
The House worried that one Kenneth Nwaogu, a 49–year old father, reportedly died in the canal while trying to rescue his daughter and son who were carried by flood in a bid to escape from a car that was submerged in the flood.
It said the tragedy was due to the absence of infrastructure like good road network, quality bridges, good drainage system, etc which would have channeled the heavy flood thus avoiding large scale erosion.
The House said it was aware estates within Lokogoma Community of the Federal Capital Territory are being threaten by gully erosion and the lives of residents of the are in danger.