Sarah NEGEDU
After several debates over the siting of a portion of Trademore Estate along flood plains at Lugbe, the FCT Administration finally pulled down 30 structures at the estate.
The administration said the affected buildings had to be removed in order to prevent incessant flooding in the Estate.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, while fielding questions from journalists after the demolition, revealed that over 100 houses were marked but 30 houses would be removed immediately.
According to him, “This estate has been a theatre of flooding very intensive flooding here and we have been engaging them for years and they have come to terms that this area is very dangerous to their lives.
“There has been excessive development on the flood plain in Trademore Estate of some persons and these is very worrisome. All the houses that are going down were marked and some were even marked as far back as three years ago, some were marked at foundation level, window level, roofing level. The final marking was about 4 days ago. And we gave them 48 hours and even gave them additional 24 hours”.
“For now 30 houses are going but over 100 were marked but we are still engaging critical stakeholders around there.
After removing the first 30 houses, we will engage with them we look at how we can use land solution act to find solution.”
He also reiterated that the administration won’t compensate anyone because there was no building plan nor approval on the flood plain.
“We are not going to give any compensation because there was no building approval”, he noted.
One of the affected persons, Sadat Bankole, who has been leaving in that area for over 10 years, said if the demolition will help prevent further loss of lives.
She also called for the prosecution of the developer of Trademore Estate, for flood diversion stressing that, “Yes, there is a diversion of the flood plain. I was told where the developer build houses are the roots of the water and the water was diverted.
“The person who diverted the flow of water should be asked questions and be sanctioned. The developer must be asked questions, why is the developer walking free. Lives were lost and it is criminal act, he killed people. It is the innocent buyers that are suffering now.”
Ike Emmanuel, also a resident asked for the developer to be taken to court for the criminal act.
He also urged the government to force the developer to accept responsibility for loss of lives and selling water plain properties to Nigerians.
