Residents urge FCTA to remove buildings on waterways

Some residents of Pyakasa, a satellite town in the FCT, have called for immediate intervention to prevent further disasters from constant flooding in the area.

The residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday said there was a need for the FCT Administration to step in to tackle the problem.

They believed that the situation was caused by buildings erected on the natural waterway that passed through the area.

The residents said areas most affected were Goshen Villa, Diamond City Luxury and Royale, Angel Martins, and Redeemers estates.

Advertisement

A businesswoman and mother of four, Saratu Iliya, expressed concerns about the continuing danger from the flood, the residents contend with.

Iliya said she was trapped for six hours during a heavy downpour and was unable to pick up her children from school when the access road and bridge in the area became flooded.

“Sometimes when it rained, we have to wait until the water receded before we could get to our homes, many of us would be stranded and frustrated on the road, and our kids would be hungry.

“We want the FCTA to come to our aid in this Pyakasa axis, we are losing our property, and all our homes may soon be cut off because of the impact of severe flooding”.

For Mr Johnson Achimugu, a civil servant, many estates along that axis become inaccessible whenever it rained.

“The cause of the recent river flooding in the area is largely due to the development of residential buildings on the natural waterway that flows through some of the estates in the area.

“It is the same water channel that flows all through to Trademore Estate which recently experienced flooding that led to loss of lives and properties.

“We are calling on the FCTA to immediately swing into action to save lives and property”.

Another resident, Dr John Akinsete, said there was a need for relevant authorities to urgently address the man-made issue, by ensuring that there is enough space for rainwater to flow freely.

According to him, the FCTA should arrest and prosecute any of its officials who compromised building standards and approved the construction of structures in flood-prone areas.

“It is worrisome that we continue to see the erection of houses and estates in flood channels within the FCT; without the connivance of some government officials, the estate owners cannot successfully complete their structures.

“If the issue is not addressed quickly, I am concerned that lives might be lost, in addition to significant negative economic, environmental, and social impacts”.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government while presenting the Global Rapid (Post Disaster) Damage Estimation (GRADE) Assessment Report of the 2022 flood situation in Nigeria, said an estimated economic loss of $6.68 billion was incurred by the FCT and the 36 states.

The losses include damages to residential and non-residential buildings, as well as infrastructure, productive sectors, and farmlands.

(NAN)