Flood: FCTA to remove obstructions on waterways

Director-General, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mr Abbas Idriss, says that all obstructions to free flow of water within the territory will be removed.

He said this in a statement issued by Head, Public Relations Unit of the agency, Nkechi Isa, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Idriss, while reacting to the incidents of flash floods which occurred in some parts of FCT recently, sympathised with the affected persons.

He said that FCTA, under the leadership of Malam Mohammed Bello, had zero tolerance for infractions on waterways and violation of the FCT master plan which could result in the loss of lives and property.

He urged residents to respect the master plan, the building codes and environmental precautions in order to stay alive.

The director-general, who made an assessment tour of the affected areas, said that the heavy floods, which totally submerged the access road to Dogongada community in Lokogoma District, were as a result of the pool of water from Apo District.

He said that the three residents caught in the floods were rescued by local divers earlier stationed at red flag areas of the territory by FEMA.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the acting Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, led the search and rescue team.

She said that the heavy floods at Apo Dutse road, which affected residents of Amina Court, Brains and Hammers, were traceable to the narrow box culvert and the ongoing construction along the river bank.

Wenegieme added that the situation was the same at Damagaza in Gudu District, where an ongoing construction near the river led to heavy flooding.

While appealing to residents not to drive in heavy pool of water but wait and allow the water to subside, she said that the agency would soon embark on posting of early warning signs in vulnerable areas within the territory.