The residents of Trademore Estate Lugbe have called on the Minster of the FCT, Mohammed Bello to rethink plans to demolish structures in the Estate.
The residents feared that the decision to demolish is coming without exploring other options targeted at averting a recurrence of the flood that happened last year.
A resident and chairman, phase 2 of the estate, Uchechukwu Moses in an interview with newsmen said the FCT had approved 23 structures but wondered that over 96 houses were already marked and more will be marked.
“Friday last week to be specific, we were invited for a meeting at the Development Control Office. And during the meeting, we were told that the meeting was intended to see a way forward and the suggestions that we will give to avert the flood that happened last year from repeating, we spoke, but in conclusion, we were told that the FCT Minister has given approval for 23 houses built on waterways to be demolished.
“We are not against demolition, but the question is we don’t even know the 23 houses but as we speak, over 96 houses have been marked for demolition. Now the question comes is demolition an answer to all this, ” he questioned.
Moses further called on the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello to repeal the decision to commence the demolition and visit the estate to further address the external factors as residents have done their part in addressing the internal factors identified.
He said, “We identified external and internal, internal is the one that will be taken care of by the developer and residents and from my analysis almost 70% has to do with the external.
“What we are saying as residents is to appeal to the FCT Minister, he’s a good man, he’s a father. Let him look at what the developer has done if it will take care of this issue. As I’ve said earlier, demolition may be the last option, but it’s not the best option for the residents for now.”
Another resident of the estate, Harold Idemudia told Newsmen that investigations showed that a dam at Aleita; a residential area within the Lugbe axis, was identified which has no buffer, hence contributing to the flooding the residents of Trademore Estate experienced, stating that the deaths recorded came from the Aleita axis and not Trademore Estate.
Odemudia added that some of the areas identified had already been worked on, adding that the recent downpours have not posed any threat due to the effectiveness of the job done by the developers
He described the 48 hours notice as pathetic, painful and worth shedding tears over, adding, “we shouldn’t do things like we would say we do in Nigeria. There should be something called empathy. We are already going through some economic pain. We are going through hardship in this economy, therefore, you must put a human face to the situation.”
“It is not as if we’re against demolishing the 23 that was initially marked in 2017. But the newer ones extend it to over 99 houses which are not it. So that’s what we’re pleading to the minister knowing that probably he may not have been properly briefed over this issue.
“There is need for him or his representatives to come around. To physically see that there are also external things that need to be done by the government which the developer has no capacity to do by himself. The minister needs to look through that report and look at the areas where government needs to intervene, ” he said.
Also appealing, Stella Okuteh, Secretary and resident, Phase 2 of the estate said there are nursing mothers, children and dependants who reside in the estate, hence, the need to put a human face to the situation. She said that water can be controlled rather than exploring demolition at once.
“We have sick residents, some just gave birth. Where are they going to go? Schools just resumed, even some of the schools that have never experienced floods have been marked.
“Why demolish? London is built on water, part of California, water but you don’t see anywhere where they demolish because of water. Water is controllable, we can control it, ” she said.
