From Adanna Nnamani
In the aftermath of torrential rains that swept through the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, recently, residents of Trademore Mega-City Estate in Lugbe are suffering from more devastating loss from floodwaters swamping several homes and businesses.
The disaster, which has become a yearly occurrence, has left a trail of destruction, prompting a contentious blame game between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and residents.
As the water recedes, the extent of the damage becomes clearer. Homes were submerged, vehicles were swept away and essential belongings severely damaged.
Residents, already grappling with the consequences of the devastation, are now facing the difficult task of recovery and rebuilding.
The situation has sparked heated exchanges between the FCTA and residents, with each side blaming the other for negligence.
Residents have accused the authorities of poor urban planning and inadequate drainage systems, which they claim worsened the floods.
Frustration among residents is evident as they demand accountability and swift action to prevent similar disasters in the future.
Moses Musa, a resident of Trademore Estate for almost five years, said he lost valuables to the flood, such as his mattress and important documents.
“I have been living here for around four to five years now. Last year, heavy rain fell on June 22, and this year it occurred on the 24th. The situation is distressing, and we are unsure of what to do. Government’s assistance is necessary.
“The water destroyed my mattress and some documents. Compared to this year, last year’s flood was more severe as it resulted in casualties, unlike this year. This estate is not our permanent residence; it’s our former office allocated to us police officers temporarily until we secure our own place. I hope the government can relocate us to a safer location,” he said.
When asked how he manages living in the estate during the rainy season despite the risk of flooding, another resident, Auwal Abdul, said: “We have fears when it rains, but we are helpless. The rain always brings anxiety; we are constantly afraid. Upon seeing the water rising, I quickly grabbed my bag and fled. Our families reside in different states, making it challenging to support both ourselves and them. Hence, we send our salaries to our families and manage here since accommodation is provided without charge.”
A waiter in a restaurant in the estate, Ali Abubakar, described his experience during the flood, which he said struck between 8 and 9 pm while they were indoors, unaware of the impending disaster. He said that he lost a number of his chairs and tables in the flood.
“I was present during the flood. It occurred between 8 and 9 pm while we were inside, unaware of the impending disaster. We were just chatting and frying yam when, suddenly, the water started pouring in. It flooded so quickly that, before we knew it, everywhere was submerged in water. I lost tables and chairs; only three tables and no chairs remain out of the six I had. I am grateful that i didn’t lose my life in the process,” Abubakar said.
Similarly, Alice John, a saleswoman at a solar store nearby, described their losses from the disaster, including 10 batteries and three inverters.
“It was such a terrible experience, I never imagined that our street could turn into a river because of flood,” she said.
Another resident who simply identified himself as Mr. Victor criticised the government, questioning their commitment and actions regarding flood prevention in the area. He expressed frustration over recent construction that raised the road above the neighborhood, causing flooding where none existed before.
He accused government of neglecting environmental considerations and refusing toprovide necessary infrastructures to manage the water. According to him, the government is more eager to embrace cheaper solutions like demolition rather than investing in proper engineering solutions to address the issue.
He said: “The government is not serious. What have they done? How many times did they come here last year?
“Did they provide any alternatives? If your home is located here, what would you do? If you lived here, would you run? Where would you run to?
“Look at the elevated road they built. This road is higher than our area. We used to enjoy this place without any flooding. Now, they have constructed something nonsensical.
“They have altered our surroundings. Before now, you could not see people on the road from here, but now you can. The road is too high for this area. They did not consider the gate or the environment when building the road.
“When water comes, it naturally flows downward. It goes to the basin. What are they talking about? We keep discussing the same issues every day. We have sat together, we have been to the National Assembly, we have had discussions. They are not taking things seriously.
“They should address their infrastructure. We did not have any problems here before. In my 15 years here, water never entered my house. It has been an issue since they constructed the road and canal.
“They promised to expand the canal the estate developer provided but have not done anything. They also said they would build an embankment but have not acted on it.
“They need to improve the existing flow that serves nearly 100 estates. They should dredge, build embankments, and clear any obstructions. The poor construction causes water to rise in some areas.
“The expressway also gets flooded due to poor construction. They should provide proper bridges. Instead of two, there should be three to prevent water from bouncing back.
“It is basic engineering knowledge. They need to act. They keep avoiding their responsibilities. They need to stop demolishing without providing alternatives.
“Engineering solutions are necessary for proper water flow. A comprehensive approach is needed, instead of playing the blame game. They are opting for the cheapest solutions, instead of investing in proper infrastructure.
“Already, they have demolished about 50 houses here. Once you demolish houses the next set of houses become a target. How does that solve the problem?”
Reacting to the issue, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department’s acting director-general, Florence Wenegieme, said that the houses immersed by the floods were part of the 116 structures already marked for demolition in 2023 when Trademore was declared a disaster zone. She stated that FCTA was prevented from removing the structures by a court injunction instituted by the association of residents of Trademore Estate.
According to her, “there is a court injunction, so we are not supposed to go there. If we do go there, it is only on humanitarian grounds. The case is in court, with an injunction restraining us from any activity in that area. Trademore has already been declared a disaster zone. Therefore, we only visit for humanitarian reasons until the injunction is lifted.”
Responding to why the government is not fulfilling its pledges to provide good drainage facilities for the estate like it earlier promised, the DG asked: “How can we build drainage systems when houses are built on waterways?”
Meanwhile an expert, Professor Nasiru Idris, director of the Institute for the Built Environment, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said there was the need to build a substantial canal rather than demolition, echoing residents’ concerns. He proposed simulating water flow from high to low areas to utilize natural slopes effectively.
The environmentalist also suggested creating a dredge hole in the ground canal to manage water volume during heavy rains or flash floods. Citing examples with techniques used in cities like Dubai, he advocated the implementation of such measures to permanently resolve flooding issues.
“Just like what the residents have said, there is no point in demolition. The only solution for now is to provide a very big, wide canal. But there is also supposed to be a simulation that will at least look at the flow of the water from the upland to low land area, which normally takes advantage of the slope.
“So, there is a need to dredge. If you provide a dredge hole at the ground canal, it would at least accommodate the volume of water during the peak of the rainy season or whenever you have flash waters in the precipitation.
“If you have that canal, it will solve the problem once and for all. If you go to developed countries like Dubai or if you go to major cities that have been submerged under water, they have been providing this kind of technique. If you provide that kind of thing, it will solve the problem once and for all,” Idris said.
In 2023, the permanent secretary, Ecological Project Office, Malam Shehu Ibrahim, said that the Federal Government would deploy a holistic approach to tackle the menace of flooding in the Trademore Estate and its environs.
Ibrahim, who decried the level of devastation caused by the flood to residents and their livelihood in the estate, noted that it was beyond the capacity of one agency of government to tackle. He stated that it required collaboration with sister agencies to come up with a comprehensive plan of intervention: “From our own assessment, what we have seen so far, you can see it is a consideration of two factors, human and natural factors.
“It is something that we have to go beyond one agency, so we look at areas we need to come in and intervene and will liaise with other sister government agencies like FCDA, FERMA, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Federal Ministry of Environment, and then come up with a comprehensive plan to see how we can address this issue and avoid future occurrence.”
He explained that, while the natural factor is as a result of the rainy season, the human factor is caused by developers who compromise standards as well as residents’ indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways. He added that proper sensitization on change of attitude was crucial.
Chairman of Trademore Phase 3 Residents’ Association, Dr. Adewale Adenike, said the floods in the estate were not solely attributable to Trademore itself, explaining that the estate acted as a conduit for flooding originating from neighbouring communities such as Lokogoma and Pykassa.
While acknowledging that the government may not have anticipated the current extent of devastation during the estate’s initial design phase, Adenike emphasised the need to employ a scientific approach to address the problem.
“This includes comprehensive channelization of all water arteries and tributaries, which should be widened, deepened and effectively managed,” he said.