Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Kambari at the Stakeholders meeting on the Annual Flooding at Lugbe Trademore Estate and Environs held in Abuja on Tuesday, tasked Stakeholders to brainstorm and provide possible solutions to avert erosion and flooding problems in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, particularly in the Trademore Estate, Lugbe.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director Special Duties in his office, Mrs, Adelopo Oluwatoyin, reiterated the importance of the meeting considering the incessant flooding along River Pyakasa during annual rainy season and its devastating impact on Trademore Estate and its environs.
Kambari said: “The annual flood event along this river has been occurring since 2019, which has cost the nation huge loss of lives and property of citizens.
“The event is attributed to among other things, the following Climate Change through unusual downpour, urbanisation through population and infrastructural growth, under sized hydraulic structures, and siltation of hydraulic structures and the Pyakasa River.”
He said the flooding had affected the economy of the Federal Capital Territory and Nigeria at large with devastating effects on livelihoods and the ecosystem.
He lamented losing a market that was flooded in Goza community and rotational farmlands at Kuje community.
Considering the possibility of having more flooding scenario in the future in different parts of FCT due to the rate of population growth and its impact on FCT water waves, the Ministry deemed it fit to gather all relevant stakeholders together in this meeting in order to exchange ideas that will make FCT safe from flooding, and encouraged sustainable development.
He asserted the government’s commitment to safety of lives and properties in the estate and Nigeria at large.
He said: “I remind you of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda towards ensuring a sustainable quality environment devoid by annual havord occasioned by flood, the administration recognises the need to urgently provide steps to a transport problem and its attendance hardship in the FCT.
“It is this commitment that necessitated the organisation of the stakeholders meeting.”
Kambari therefore urged stakeholders to share ideas and show the new zeal towards addressing the flood challenges along Pyakasa River.
The Director, Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department of the Ministry, Mr Dilichukwu Etigbue emphasized that the flooding in Trademore Estate had caused huge economic losses to the FCT and the Nation.
The workshop with the stakeholders were at the instance of his department to take proactive steps to avert the recurrence through proper handling of waste and adhering to FG directives and advise on flood warning signals and flood management to help address some of the challenges.
Etigbue said flooding along Pyakasa River had become an annual event with Trademore Estate being its major flash point.
He said: “As you all are aware, the Department of Erosion, flood and Coastal Zone Management had it’s statutory responsibility of formulating environmental policies, measures that are relevant to solve erosion and flood control management through out the country and this meeting is to enable us have a robust deliberation on ways to avert this annual disaster.”
He said that the Ministry had documented the root causes of the erosion and would be shown during the technical session for inputs and way forward for a safer Trademore and other areas affected by flood.
Deputy Director Environmental Services, Division of Safe the Town Development Department, FCDA, Mr Olawuwo Lateef called on the general public to support the government policy as this will help in addressing erosion control.
Mr. Lateef said that supporting the FG policy was very crucial as most of the problems discussed could be tackled by adhering to building plans, not tempering with green areas as well as living just and fair without building on flood plains and blocking the drainage.
He said: “If you love our environments, you love yourself because your environment is you, if you treat the environment in a negative way the impacts are the consequences coming back to us.
“The message we have for everybody here is that we should please support the policy that will help everybody so that at the end of the day, we will have the focus to glorify”.
He also said out that there should be more enforcement of these policies.
He said: “The message we have majorly is support from all stakeholders, the developers, the residents, and all sorts of people so that at the end of the day everybody will be happy.”
The representative of Trade More Estate, Mr Abdul Abubakar, appealed to the government to quickly swing into action to come up with solutions to address the menace.
Abubakar feared that if urgent measures were not taken, the flooding issue would still occur.
He said: “So now that we are expecting the rains again, definitely all the residents in Trademore are already getting scared of the outcome, so this is an opportunity for us really to say our mind on this, Trademore itself is not where the problem lies, but because of where it is located.”
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