Trademore Estate residents appeal to FCTA against demolition plan amidst flooding
Residents of Trademore Estate, located in the Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have appealed to the FCT Administration to rescind its planned demolition of the estate.
Mr. Adewale Adeleke, the Chairman of the residents, made the appeal during a news conference held in Abuja on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a heavy downpour on June 23 had submerged 116 houses in the estate.
“The proposed demolition, if executed, would create humanitarian problems,” said Adeleke, “adding that it would increase the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the FCT.”
Adeleke argued that demolition would not solve the recurrent flooding in the estate and proposed alternative solutions.
“Rather than bring down houses in the estate, Aleita Dam should be evacuated, while the three culverts from the ecological road, after Trademore, should be expanded,” he said.
“The water channel after the estate should also be expanded to accommodate a greater volume of water.”
The Chairman explained the background of the estate’s development, stating, “The estate was built in 2007 when Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) was in charge of land allocation. The estate developer, Trademore Holdings Ltd., got the necessary allocation papers and approval from AMAC accordingly.”
READ ALSO: FCDA announces demolition of police station, buildings in Trademore Estate to combat flooding
He further highlighted that the developer sought recertification when the FCTA took over, but no allottee on the airport road has been recertified to date.
Adeleke emphasized that 90 percent of the houses in the estate were mortgaged and financed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.
“As such, Trademore Estate is not illegal, and it is not a disaster zone,” he stated. “What we need is the implementation of the recommended solutions to the flooding.”
The FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, had earlier declared the estate a “disaster zone” on June 27 and promised that the FCT administration would address the problem.
However, the recent decision by the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Malam Shehu Ahmed, to demolish all structures on waterways across the capital city, including buildings within Trademore Estate, has sparked opposition from the residents.
Ahmed stated, “Buildings within the estate were earlier marked for demolition on several occasions, alongside series of warnings and quit notices for the residents to vacate.”
He also mentioned that a police station and other buildings in the estate would be demolished.
The residents, however, believe that demolishing the houses is not the solution. They argue for a different approach that focuses on mitigating the flood risks in the area.
The conflict between the FCTA and the residents of Trademore Estate continues as they seek a resolution to the recurring flooding issue.
NAN