A foremost Housing development advocacy group, Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to rise up to its responsibilities of saving lives and properties of the residents by providing necessary infrastructure to sustain the level of unguarded waters along Lugbe axis of the city.
The Non Governmental Organization made the call in a reaction to the devastating flood that hit the Trademoore estate and others within the Lugbe axis in Abuja on Sunday night claiming about three lives and destroying several properties.
Executive Director of the group, Festus Adebayo in a statement on Tuesday after visiting the scene of the flood, reminded the FCTA that the first duty of any responsible government is the protection of lives and properties of its citizens.
He advised the government on the need to call a meeting of stakeholders consisting of all estate developers along the axis where the flood occurred including TradeMoore, Light Gold and Wisdom estates, adding that it was high time that the FCT Minister took an effective decision to solve the problem of flooding confronting Lugbe residents along the affected areas once and for all.
The statement further noted that during the course of the visit, HDAN with REDAN Leadership observed that some of the waterways around the area which has over 40 housing estates have been taken over by various developers for building houses and wondered what the Development Control Office of the FCT had been doing along that axis.
The statement reads further “From our observations, looking at the level of water from an unknown destination through Galadimawa to Trademoore ,and other estates, we saw it will be difficult for private developers to solve that problem without government intervention.
We also observed that the newly constructed culvert erected along the Voice of Nigeria and Trademoore axis leaves a space under the culvert that is too small to allow water from Trademore estate and this no doubt may be one of the causes of the havoc we just witnessed.”.
“We call on the FCT to do a complete overhaul of infrastructure re-engineering in a way that will prevent any reoccurrence of flooding in the area.
Adebayo also advised the government to ensure that any building on the water way must be removed to save lives and properties while the FCT development control department must be called to proper action delivery .
Recall that at least three bodies were recovered Monday morning after a flood at Trademoore Estate in Lugbe, Abuja. Residents said the flood started in the early hours of Monday after a downpour. Many houses, vehicles and other properties were also damaged in the flood.
Trademoore Estate has been in the news for flooding since 2011. Last year, one person died in the area after a downpour.
No effort has been made by the government despite promises of expansion on the canal which cut through Galadimawa and connects to Lokogoma down to River Park area.
