…Warns Residents Of Servers Flood

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The body of one Mr. Garba Joseph, 43 year old from Akoka-Edo of Edo State, has been recovered by the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA’s) Search and Rescue team after two days intensive search from a flooded river around TradeMoore Estate, Lugbe, in Abuja

This is as the Director General FCT FEMA, Alh. Idriss Abbas again warned FCT residents to avoid flooded areas to avert the dangers of falling victims of flood.

Saddened by the unfortunate incident, Abbas emphasised the need for residents to adhere to instructions and early warnings from relevant authorities, adding that attitudinal change is the key to reducing disasters to the barest minimum in the FCT.

An eye witness account (one of FEMA’s volunteer/vanguard Kenneth Chima) while narrating the incident said “they were four men that tried walking through the water and I kept warning them to go back, three of them went back but only this man insisted on crossing, unfortunately the water overpowered him and washed him away” he said

Abbas, however, decried the increasing rate of flood in the FCT which he attributed to residents’ apathy towards government’s directives and early warnings. This is also despite FEMA’s consistent sensitizations based on NIMET & NIHSA predictions of torrential rainfall and dangers of flooding.

The FEMA DG said NIHSA’s most recent predictions has warned of torrential rainfall and floodindings from August,2020 and that the Agency has been carrying out aggressive sensitization of residents to educate them on ways to prevent the impending flood. He said FEMA is conducting this exercise in five different indigenous languages in the FCT using different media channels.

“Furthermore, we recently organized a meeting with our Volunteers, Vangards and Divers from all the area Councils within the FCT to educate them on how they can sensitize their people on how to prevent disasters to minimize loss of lives and properties. We have embarked on community to community flood sensitization campaigns in the FCT and also mounted billboards at all the flood prone points warning off and cautioning residents from these danger areas.” The FEMA Boss asserted.

According to him “most of the deaths we have recorded in the past from flood in the FCT were as a result of non-compliance to instructions and early warnings. Alh.Idriss emphasized the Agency’s commitment to reducing disasters to a barest minimum in the FCT, and called on residents to complement the efforts of the FCT Administration by doing the needful.

He also advised residents not to underestimate the strength of water when it is flooded “what we are experiencing now is flash flood, the water builds up speedily and comes unnoticed hence very dangerous.” He explained.

Abbas appealed to residents to desist from unwholesome environmental practices especially indiscriminate waste disposal on water ways, building on flood plains, as these could block water ways and lead to flooding.He further called on community leaders, religious leaders to be charged with the responsibility of sensitizing their subjects, especially those who are living close to flood prone areas to move to higher grounds to avoid being washed away by flood water, adding that relevant authorities have been on their toes evacuating refuse around the FCT, distilling drainages and expanding narrow water channels to enable free flow of water for a safer FCT

He also urged residents and developers to always ensure they follow approved building plans and desist from manipulating the building plans to suit their own personal interest, in turn endangering their lives.

Saying, “Some of the houses affected by flood are Houses that their owners try to extend the fence of the house to the embankments of the rivers close to them, just to add a few meters to their originally approved plot” he said.
He called on developers to respect the Abuja Master plan and follow due process before embarking on any building project to avoid endangering lives and properties in the FCT, stressing that disaster management is a collective effort from Government and the Governed

He added that, all hands to be on deck and that residents should complement the efforts of the FCT Administration to reduce disasters to the barest minimum. He also advised residents to always call the 3 digits toll-free emergency number 112 for prompt response to any emergency.

While sympathizing with the family of the victim, Abbas assured residents of the commitment of the FCT Administration in reducing disasters to the barest minimum, stressing that FEMA advocates prevention and mitigation rather than relief.
The body of the victim has since been laid to rest at Lugbe cemetery by his family.

In another development a combined team of FEMA, NEMA, The Nigeria Police, NSCDC, and Spcial Force have successfully rescued the 3 trapped occupants of a truck loaded with breverage products, that crashed into a residential building in Madala FCT , in the early hours of Saturday. The victims who sustained several degrees of injuries have since been taken to the Zuba General hospital for treatment.

Speaking in reaction to the incident, the DG FEMA, Alh. Idriss Abbas has called on motorist plying the roads to apply more caution by reducing speed when driving ,to avert more accidents as the roads have become logged with water and very slippery due to the persistent and heavy rain falls in this rainy season.

FCTA Set To Roll Out 30,000 Affordable Housing For Staff  

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) has concluded plans to roll out 30, 000 housing units for staff of FCTA/FCDA in Karshi area of the nation’s capital. 

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu made the known at the assessment tour of project in Karshi, promised that the developers are committed to the realization of the project very soon.

She, however, noted that at the completion of the project, staff of the FCT Administration would be more committed to duty, stressing that they would also have sense of ownership of the houses.  

According to het; “First and foremost the Karshi tour is to assess the affordable housing project designed for the staff of the FCTA/FCDA. The FCT Administration is committed to affordable housing as mandated by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure that there is a provision for affordable housing for indigenous people and residents of the Federal Capital Territory across the six area councils.  

“So, it happen we have a site in Karshi and we came to inspect it and to look at some possible encroachment. Practically, we are ready to tradeoff and do the needful. We have assessed the whole place to ensure that all the infrastructures are already in place and to ensure that the houses are truly affordable and structures are qualitative.

“We came out today with our development partners, the Family Homes. We have over 30000 staff waiting already, and we are set to proceed. As for the takeoff, it is as soon as now, but the COVID-19 pandemic which is not peculiar to us but a global pandemic really slow down the pace of development.  

She continued; “By and large, it is never too late. The developers are also giving us a time frame to expedite action on the project. And quality and affordability as the name implies matters to us.  

“The population of FCT staff without credible house is alarming, so if we want adequate concentration for our staff, then we have to provide them with good accommodation. These housing facilities will encourage them to do more, give them sense of ownership in the territory. This will boost their standard of living”.  

Also, the Director of Housing, FCT Satellite Towns Development Development, Arch. Usman Isyaku Bala, maintained that the project would be completed with 24 months, adding that modalities are in place to ensure that staff of the administration are beneficiaries of the scheme.  

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) has concluded plans to roll out 30, 000 housing units for staff of FCTA/FCDA in Karshi area of the nation’s capital. 

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu made the known at the assessment tour of project in Karshi, promised that the developers are committed to the realization of the project very soon.

She, however, noted that at the completion of the project, staff of the FCT Administration would be more committed to duty, stressing that they would also have sense of ownership of the houses.  

According to het; “First and foremost the Karshi tour is to assess the affordable housing project designed for the staff of the FCTA/FCDA. The FCT Administration is committed to affordable housing as mandated by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure that there is a provision for affordable housing for indigenous people and residents of the Federal Capital Territory across the six area councils.  

“So, it happen we have a site in Karshi and we came to inspect it and to look at some possible encroachment. Practically, we are ready to tradeoff and do the needful. We have assessed the whole place to ensure that all the infrastructures are already in place and to ensure that the houses are truly affordable and structures are qualitative.

“We came out today with our development partners, the Family Homes. We have over 30000 staff waiting already, and we are set to proceed. As for the takeoff, it is as soon as now, but the COVID-19 pandemic which is not peculiar to us but a global pandemic really slow down the pace of development.  

She continued; “By and large, it is never too late. The developers are also giving us a time frame to expedite action on the project. And quality and affordability as the name implies matters to us.  

“The population of FCT staff without credible house is alarming, so if we want adequate concentration for our staff, then we have to provide them with good accommodation. These housing facilities will encourage them to do more, give them sense of ownership in the territory. This will boost their standard of living”.  

Also, the Director of Housing, FCT Satellite Towns Development Development, Arch. Usman Isyaku Bala, maintained that the project would be completed with 24 months, adding that modalities are in place to ensure that staff of the administration are beneficiaries of the scheme.  

 ...Says Developers Took Advantage Of Lockdown

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has revealed that it will commenced a weekly site inspection and enforcement exercise that would culminate into demolition of illegal developments across the nation’s capital.

Director, FCTA department of Development Control, Tpl Mukhtar Galadima gave this revelation while conducting newsmen on inspection of project sites in Guzape, Asokoro, Katampe Extension districts and National Assembly Quarters, Apo, yesterday in Abuja.

Fielding questions from newsmen on reasons for the high rate of contraventions of building approvals, Galadima, however, decried that many developers took advantage of the lockdown period to carry out illegal develooments, by either building without approvals or building above approved number of units as well as arbitrary change of land use.

According to him ; “I can attribute what you are saying to the unfortunate incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because most of these deviations have occurred during this period of lockdown.

” Authorities would deal with each contravention based on its uniqueness: “And from what I have seen, it is either we condone or we condemn (the contraventions).
“Those we cannot condone, we apply appropriate sanctions -either it is for the payment of contravention charges where it is necessary and as approved by the authority, or where it is not, we remove them (illegal structures) automatically.

He continued; “We could also subject such contraventions to certain parameters, including paying for the whole value of that building to government. And for us to do that, we also have to check these parameters in terms of parking adequacy, plot coverage and density of the area.

“At the end of the day, if we find out that these parameters are in agreement, then the developer is surcharged to pay the value of the property put on ground”, he explained.

The team visited development sites Guzape, Asokoro and Katampe Extension Districts as well as the National Assembly Quarters, Apo, where structures were earmarked for immediate demolition.

Describing the Guzape and Katampe Extension developments as “impunity and flagrant abuses of building regulations”, Galadima regretted that the developers had almost completed building eight units on each sites, instead of the four units approved by the authorities.

Also, in the case of Asokoro, the Development Control boss said: “We were in Asokoro because of the past experience where somebody tried to modify what was approved for residential to hotel development. That’s why we have been careful and cautious.

“The development adjoining that area, we have to be careful, that is why we are monitoring it from the excavation stage on a daily basis, to make sure they do not short-change the authority and become nuisance to the society.

The Director who was visibly angry over total disregard for quit and stop work notices by a developer who carried on unperturbed inside the National Assembly Quarters, Apo, ordered that the property, a major expansion of a residential building without any approvals be demolished within 24-hours.

Galadima, therefore, warned the public to desist from building any structure in the nation’s capital without first obtaining approvals from relevant authorities, adding that hjs department would catch up with all illegal developers and correct them accordingly.

“This is a continuous exercise. Every Tuesday is dedicated to management sites’ visit, and the essence of the visits is to inspect areas that have peculiar challenges and gather ideas on how to resolve them.”