Environment
THE Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has donated assorted food items to some communities in Gwagwalada Area Council that were affected by the flood as a result of recent torrential rainfall.
A statement by Mr Austine Elemue, Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, on Thursday, said the minister presented the items to the victims when she paid a condolence visit to the affected communities.
The minister used the occasion of the visit to warned residents to stay off waterways to avoid future occurrence.
She assured the victims that plans had been concluded to assist them in the provisions of household utensils and building materials, after relevant government agencies might have ascertained the level of destruction and numbers of homes affected.
Aliyu, who visited the scene alongside other management staff of the FCT administration, stressed the need for residents to be mindful of the environment.
She added that the Environmental Protection Agency and FCT Development Control should be notified when constructions are carried out on waterways.
“We are all deeply touched as we wake up that fateful day on July 25, to this natural disaster.
” These are one of the kind of occurrences this year that we cannot control and no matter the provisions, no matter the status of the communities, even in developed climes, it does happened.
” No matter the level of infrastructures in place, if it is meant to occur, it will occur.
“But this is also telling us to be mindful of the environment and also the Environmental Protection Agency and FCT Development Control should be notified when constructions are done on our waterways.
” Some people could be transferred newly and they could not know.
“The Development Control must be up and doing to also look at where waste and refuse are being dumped.
” Most of the times, our actions constitute 75 per cent of blockages in our drainage. Let me say that if we have two of this kind of occurrence in a year, the burden will be so much for the people.
” We feel your pains and we are here not only to sympathise with you, but on behalf of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to extend our hands of fellowship and our little token to cushion this effect.
” We are with you in prayers and God will not allow us to witness this again,” Aliyu said.
The minister also assured that concerted efforts would be made to ensure that areas faced with ecological problem would be adequately tackled by the Federal Government.
She stressed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration, would not hesitate to liaise with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to address other emergency problems.
Earlier, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, Director-General, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stated that as soon as the agency received the distress call on Saturday, July 25, 2020, the rescue and search team moved into action.
Represented by Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, Deputy Director in charge of Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, Idriss, revealed that out of the six causalities there was a family of five that got drown in the flood.
According to the director-general, four of them are yet to be found. ” There was a family of five that got drown in the water.
Unfortunately, we were able to find one of the sons because the husband was not around, but he gave his consent that the child should be buried before he comes back.
” The search team is still ongoing to recover the bodies of the mother and other three children.
” Four of them are yet to be found. We have gone to Koton-karfe, yet we have not find them,” he said.
For his part, the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Adamu Danze, commended the FCT Minister of State for the quick response.
Danze noted that residents are taking notes on the giant strides recorded in infrastructural provisions in the satellite towns.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items donated include 300 bags of rice, 500 bags of maize, millet, sorghum, garri, beans, indomie among other food others. (NAN)
– Jul. 30, 2020 @ 14:09 GMT |
Tags: FCTA donates relief items to Gwagwalada flood victims
