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•120 estates at risk •20 deaths recorded in 2 years
•Crime surges, communities resort to self-help
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The architectural beauty of some areas like Lugbe, Airport Road, Galadimawa and Lokogoma in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, is on the verge of being totally defaced because of the floods that have submerged some of the areas.
The rains that fell recently and lasted hours and widened gullies, worsened erosion and overran many estates like Trade More (Phase 1 and 2), Clobek and Wisdom estates. Major roads were also affected.
The disaster grounded businesses; schools and churches were temporarily closed, while vehicular movement was restricted for some days. Worse still, two bodies were found floating around the second gate of Trade More Estate. The body of water sacked the only police station and officers providing security.
A visit to the area painted a sad picture of the disaster. Personal belongings like cars, generators, mattresses, chairs, pets, house documents, certificates, windows and doors were all submerged. Perimeter fences were pulled down.
The once bubbling communities have become more like a graveyard, as most people have vacated in search of temporal shelter.
Those who mustered the courage to stay put were seen sweeping away the refuse and washing their clothes and other household items drenched in mud. Also, those who could afford it purchased blocks, bricks and rods to repair their fences.
The ugly episode, according to environmentalists, was caused by houses built on waterways, indiscriminate dumping of waste in drains, which affected the free flow of water, and the construction of narrow drainage not large enough to channel the body of water properly.
Secretary of Trade More, EJoh Azuka, said the incident was not child’s play. He disclosed that the disaster had been happening for more than five years without any reasonable assistance from government.
He specifically accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and other agencies of paying lip service to the issue and only commiserating with victims.
He extended the blame to the developer of the area, whom he said was lackadaisical toward resolving the problem by micromanaging resources and downplaying the effects of the crisis.
According to him, 20 people had died in the last two years. He predicted that more tragedy would happen, if the matter was neglected.
He also complained about the estimated budget of N20 million for the expansion of a bridge, which he said residents would not be able to raise.
The secretary pointed out that it was unfair for people to conclude that only Trade More Estate was affected when fences of over 120 estates around the area were destroyed.
He said: “It is not only Phase 1 and some parts of Phase 2 that are affected by the flood. You can see that a major part of Phase 1 is not majorly affected it is just the second gate.
“This area is not affected. The real problem we have in Trade More is the drainage by the second gate, it is too narrow.
“And water coming from different angles will descend on the second gate. You see another drainage coming from different locations and all gather at the Phase 2 gate.
“A major one comes from Lokogoma and assembles there. The drainage is so narrow and it leads to confluence and flood because the drainage is unable to contain the flow of water.
“If you go there, you will see that in some houses the body of water reached the roof. The police officers have packed out because, anytime it rains, the water covers the area.
“There was a time it rained and those in the cells almost got drowned. It has been happening for over five years consistently.
“Anytime it happens, NEMA, Fire Brigade, FERMA and FCDA will come and speak English, run their mouths and go. The next year it will happen andthe same scenario plays out.
“Last year, about 18 people died. This year, two people have died. So, it has been like that. Three years ago, we lost one person.
“In fact, there was a video in which water carried one person and the next day his corpse was picked somewhere. It is not just Trade More.
“If you go out now, you will see Clobek and Wisdom estates. In fact, all the estates along that route are affected. But anytime it happens, you hear only about Trade More Estate.
“Most of the houses are owned by individuals. I do not know what you want us to do. We have gone to FCDA and laid our complaint.
“The developer is not willing to do anything. Anytime he comes, he will just go around and do something insignificant.
“Members have been coming together to look for solutions. We have approached the developer severally.
“The last time we met with the developer, he said he was coming to work on the gate. The chairman of Phase 1 even helped him to approach former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who helped him to get approval to do whatever he wanted to do across the road.
“He did not do it. Instead, he did something by the side, which could not solve the problem. In fact, it worsened the whole thing.
“The amount involved, we cannot raise it. To cut that road, we will need to do an overhead bridge and then expand the drainage so that the water coming from Lokogoma will have enough space to flow.
“Most of the engineers say it will not cost anything less than N20 million to do it. We do not have that kind of money.
“We are still meeting. The three chairmen met with the permanent secretary of the FCDA, FCT senator and other officials for help.
“Every year, they just keep promising without doing anything. We have more than 120 estates along the road. If you drive down, you will see so many estates that flood brought down their gates.
“Even the expressway was flooded, vehicles were submerged and movement restricted for some time.”
An embattled resident, Emmanuel Madiba, said he and his family were stranded. According to him, they have lived there for about 10 years. He claimed that he did not know the area was flood-prone.
He said every year, they spend thousands of naira to erect fences, which do not stand the test of time: “Where do you want us to relocate to? This is our house. We did not know the area was flood-prone. If we had known, we would not have built here.
“We have stayed here for more than 10 years. We have been building fences almost every year with the thought that it would help but to no avail.
“Any time it rains, it destroys our fence. Our area is very porous now. The management of the estate has not done anything to help.”
An administrative officer in one of the affected estates, Isaac Ugom, complained of the porous state of the environment. He said thieves take advantage of the fallen fences to gain access to abandoned houses and cart away people’s belongings.
“Insecurity is our major fear. It is already happening. Criminals now enter freely and burgle people’s houses.
“Before, it was a bit difficult. But now it is just a walkover. We have increased the number of security personnel. But they are not serious. We have taken it upon ourselves to monitor them at night, ” he said.
Residents of Dogon Gada, a community that shares a fence with Efab Estate, have resorted to self-help. They contribute money to buy bags of cement, iron rods and gravel to support the only bridge linking the community to the city centre.
“It is not something we should play with. We had to rally round, tax ourselves to buy the gravel and rods you are seeing there. If we allow it like that, we will not have any road. Mind you, the rain is just beginning, ” Uchenna Maxwell said.
When contacted on the distribution of relief materials, head of media, NEMA, Manzo Ezekiel, explained that the government only provides relief materials or opens IDP camps for people who are poor. He advised them not to relocate to the areas since the FCDA had declared the areas as danger zones.
“On relief materials, you will agree with me that the people living in the affected areas are not poor people. The items we give are things that are aimed at helping people to have some kind of succor.
“Even the flood that happened that day was a flash flood. After a day, the people were back to their homes. So, because it is a flash flood, we cannot open an IDP camp for them,” he said.
