The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday said it will prosecute residents, developers and staff members who are responsible for constriction and obstruction of waterways in Abuja.
Malam Shehu Ahmed, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), stated this when he led some FCTA Executives on a tour of flood-prone areas in and around Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ahmed was accompanied by Mr Abbas Idriss, the Director-General, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Mr Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister.
Mr Shuaibu Umar, the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), and others were in the team.
Ahmed said the Department of Development Control had already been given a matching order for immediate removal of all constrictions and all structures obstructing waterways on Lokogoma district and Airport road corridor.
“What we set out to do is actually to physically inspect all the critical locations for flash flooding spots within Abuja, especially following the flash flood incidents that occurred on Saturday in which a lot of places were flooded.
“That has raised a lot of concern for the FCT Administration.
“The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, convened an emergency executive meeting in which he directed me to lead a team of technical departments that have to do with mitigation of flooding.
“So, we embarked on this tour especially on the Airport expressway which is considered one of the principal gateways to international visitors and also presidential route.
“We have some concerns; we have some locations on the airport road that have some washouts; places like Gosa village, Trademore Estate, Galadimawa roundabout and Lokogoma district, where we inspected Mountain of Fire area.
“There are problems of drivers wanting to cross the bridge when it is being flooded and often times we have cases of vehicles being swept off and lives are lost.
He explained that all the places visited had issue of constriction of waterways and inadequacy of space that would allow passage of water.
“This is an issue that must be addressed immediately and I think as we finish this inspection we are ready to start work.
Ahmed said the Department of Development Control had been directed to clear all obstructions on waterways especially Trademore Estate and Lokogoma district.
“Culprits who are responsible for constricting waterways including our officers, some that are accomplices in allowing such development, we are not going to allow that.”
On his part, the Coordinator of AMMC, Umar, said most of the places seen showed attempt by people to satisfy their interests against the interests of generality.
“We have existing laws that empower us to go on this enforcement; we are going to make sure that anyone that does not have approval is brought to book.
“We are going to do our enforcement and, even if the person goes to court, we have enabling laws to allow us do whatever we are doing.”
He appealed to residents to develop plots according to regulations noting that 95 per cent of cases showed outright infringements.