By Kingsley Madaki
Following a heavy downpour in the Lokogoma District of the Federal Capital Territory occasioned by the early morning rainfall of Wednesday, the FCTA has to barricade the steep road from Games Village to the Airport Road and others within the FCT in order to save lives and properties.
The Director General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss announced this in a statement in Abuja yesterday while reacting to the heavy floods which affected Dogongada in Lokogoma and Damangaza and Apo Dutse in Gudu Districts.
Alhaji Idriss appealed to residents to heed the early warnings issued by FEMA.
“We will continue to educate residents as a government in the language they will understand. Motorists should avoid driving on running water, wait for five or more minutes for the water to subside before driving. Cross check before leaving homes or your work places to ensure that the road is safe,” he said.
He noted that the onset of the rains in the FCT will commence on the 14th of this month saying āWe are going to have a little above normal rainfall this year. Therefore, residents should be wary of the devastating effects of flooding.
He advised residents to avoid building on water ways, water channels, raising retention walls, and ensure that the required 25 meters gap between their house and the water channels/roads are allowed for safety in accordance with the Abuja master plan. When you do this, we will all be safe.ā
The FEMA boss who blamed flooding in the Territory on indiscriminate construction, infractions on waterways assured that relevant agencies were working to remove all obstructions.
“We will advise them to remove any obstructions, nobody should assume that they can block water ways just because they want to have a wider space,” he said.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue Unit of the Forecasting Response and Mitigation of FEMA, FRM, rescued a resident from drowning at Dogongada.
According to the Acting Director FRM, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, the rescue followed a distress call on the 112 emergency toll free numbers at 5.25am.
She informed that the victim’s vehicle was totally submerged, leaving him trapped on the roof top of his car.
