The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, March 30, 2023, commenced swift inventory and demolition of structures on waterways.
This is part of the administration’s proactive measures to mitigate flooding in Nigeria’s capital city.
The administration’s Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said this during an inspection.
He inspected the demolition of a perimeter fence and other obstructing structures on a flood plain in Mabushi District.
Galadima said directive was given to sector monitors to forward their list of developments on flood plains, so as to remove them where necessary, before the rains come fully.
He added that the officials would identify more locations, and start removing the obstructing structures, before the rains begin fully.
“What we are doing here is as a result of an outing with my management team, where we spotted these developments across the flood plain in Mabushi District, which we have to remove.
“We need to be more proactive. That’s why we went round some districts of the city, and we noticed some of these developments across flood plains.
“We are aware that the Federal capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has inaugurated sensitisation on flooding.
”In line with this, we are going to identify these locations and start removing the structures before the rains begin fully.
“So it is an ongoing exercise, we will keep moving round, take note and remove where necessary,” he said.
He noted that there were no limitations to sensitisation on why people should not build on waterways, because it is disastrous.
“We have seen the floods and other natural disasters, and their consequences across the globe.”
Galadima explained that the FCTA had directed its Legal Secretariat to review all legal framework governing developments in the FCT.
“This will definitely be part of the FCT laws and regulations governing development and management of the territory.”
By Salisu Sani-Idris
