Trademore Estate in Abuja is scheduled for destruction

 

The Federal Capital Territory Administration's (FCTA) bulldozers have threatened to demolish Trademore Estate in Lugbe, Abuja.

Yes, the inhabitants of the estate were startled when a one-hour strong rain caused the region to flood severely a little over a week ago. Numerous automobiles were taken away. Many of the homes collapsed while others were flooded up to their roof levels. The authorities have not yet revealed the number of human casualties.

Multiple people tend to die as a result of this tragedy every year. The most recent piece I wrote on this was in 2020.

According to experts, a large portion of the estate sits inside a natural floodplain. However, the fact that most of the stormwater originated from somewhere else has raised controversy over the destruction caused by the flood on the estate and its neighbouring surroundings. The region where the estate was constructed is the target of several drainage systems from local and distant villages, which is what caused the flash flood that completely submerged the land.

How did humans manage to construct at a location where there is a clear natural waterway? Many landowners and locals claim that previous FCT administrations, notably that of Nasir el-Rufai, a former Minister infamous for tearing down many estates for allegedly violating the Abuja master plan, forced them to migrate. How was it possible for El-Rufai, a licenced surveyor, or any other official who ought to be familiar with the Capital Territory's master plan, to move people to such a perilous location?

Was it an instance of negligence or overt maliciousness? Many residents of areas like Trademore were affected by demolitions that took place in other parts of Abuja. How can the government continue to harass regular people whose only transgression is that they dared to spend their hard-earned cash to construct their own houses or offices in the nation's capital?

A close examination of Trademore Estate and the adjacent surroundings reveals that demolishing every structure you see is not the only viable option for dealing with the water. The construction of broad and deep canals has greatly reduced flooding in lowland areas, even in Lagos. Trademore Estate needs this. We think canalisation can rescue the day, barring homes that are directly in the line of flooding. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not necessary.

The Abuja channelization plan must be comprehensive and carried out in a way that allows people to construct and live in their houses securely without worrying about floods, government agents, or bulldozers. When interacting with common people, government representatives must act with emotional intelligence. Every time the government has to demolish a building, it must be for the benefit of the whole community.

The needs of all impacted law-abiding persons must be met. Trademore Estate needs to be preserved rather than demolished.