By Hillary Asemota
The Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office (EPO)Mr. Shehu Ibrahim on Monday assured that Federal Government will deploy holistic approach to tackle the flooding in the country.
He stated that addressing challenges emanating from flooding require collaboration with sister agencies to come up with a comprehensive plan of intervention.
Recall that a heavy downpour on Friday 23 at the Federal Capital Territory overran the Trademore mega-city estate and its environs in Abuja.
The EPO boss made the disclosure during an on-the-spot assessment tour of the flood ravaged estate and its environs following the torrential rains witnessed in FCT.
He said the assessment tour is to enable the office put up a comprehensive report for government’s further action
Ibrahim, decried the level of devastation caused by the flood to residents and their livelihood in the estate, noting that it was beyond the capacity of one agency of government to tackle.
He stated that it required collaboration with sister agencies to come up with a comprehensive plan of intervention.
“From our own assessment, what we have seen so far, you can see it’s a consideration of two factors: human and natural factors. It is something that we have to go beyond one agency, so we look at areas we need to come in and intervene and will liaise with other sister government agencies like FCDA, FERMA, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Federal Ministry of Environment and then come up with a comprehensive plan to see how we can address this issue and avoid future occurrence.”
The Permanent Secretary explained that while the natural factor is as a result of the rainy season, the human factor he said is caused by developers who compromise standards as well as residents’ indiscriminate dumping of refuse on water ways. He added that proper sensitization on change of attitude is crucial.
Ibrahim, also
disclosed that the assessment tour was part of the Federal Government’s proactive efforts to hasten the provision of a lasting solution to the flooding in the area. He assured that government will do its best to intervene on ecological issues and also send officers to go round to assess other areas affected.
He said, “government cannot sit down and allow things like this to happen”.
Chairman of Trademore Phase 3, Residents Association, Dr. Adewale Adenike said the estate’s flooding issue is not caused entirely from Trademore but that the Estate is just a corridor for the flooding which emanates from Lokogoma, Pykassa and others adjoining communities around the estate.
While noting that government may not have envisaged the present magnitude of devastation at the initial stage of designing the estate, however believes that it must employ a scientific approach in solving it such as a proper channelization of all the arteries and tributaries which need to be widened and deepened and properly controlled in addition to the construction of a bridge around the estate
Signed: Eno Olotu,
Deputy Director, (Press & Public Relations).