By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Following the heavy rain and floods which affected, Dogongada in Lokogoma and Damangaza and Apo Dutse in Gudu Districts, the FCT Administration has urged residents to heed early warning signs issued by FEMA to avoid loss of lives and property.
Director General of of FCT Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Alhaji Idriss who made this who announcement in a statement today appealed to residents also said that due to the early morning rainfall today the FCTA would barricade the alternative ( Sleep ) road road from Games Village to the Airport road and others within the FCT in order to save lives and properties.
” 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.
Idriss noted that the onset of the rains in the FCT Will commence on the 14th of this month notified residents the rains will be a little above normal this year.
He therefore advised residents to be wary of the devastating effects of flooding.
Residents should avoid building on water ways, water channels, raising retention walls, and ensure that the required 25 meters gap between your 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.”
The FEMA boss explained that flooding in the Territory is caused by indiscriminate construction, infractions and urbanisation, but assured that relevant agencies were working to remove all obstructions to make way for water passage.
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 Forcasting Response and Mitigation of FEMA,(FRM), has rescued a resident from drowing at Dogongada in the early hours of today.
According to the Acting Director FRM, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, the rescue followed a distress call on the 112 emergency toll free number at 5.25am.
She informed that the victim’s vehicle was totally submerged , leaving him trapped on the roof top of his car.
