FEMA Intensify Efforts to Prevent Flood Disaster in Kwali LG

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has intensified efforts to prevent flood disaster in communities in Kwali Area Council affected by flood in 2020.

Mrs Florence Wenegieme, the Deputy Director, Forecasting Response and Mitigation of FEMA, who led a team from various agencies to assess flood prone areas in the communities on Monday, commended the Federal Government for reconstructing the bridge washed away by flood in 2020.

“We are approaching the rainy season or rather the rains have started and that is why we came here on assessment to know the condition and position of the bridge that link the various communities in Kwali Area Council.

“So that we know what we can do for members of this community when the rains become very heavy,” she said.

Wenegieme, cautioned farmers against farming in flood prone areas, stressing that farmers must stop farming on the river banks and building on water ways as it was very dangerous for them to farm in flood prone areas.

“We are here in continuation of joint assessment of flood prone areas in the Federal Capital Territory, which we started on March 31, 2021.

“Today, we are here in Kwali Area Council at Dafa and Tunga communities. In 2020, the bridge that linked the two and other communities was washed away by flood and members of the communities were crossing the bridge with the help of our 'local diverse.

“Because the bridge is cut off, the two communities and host of others that were using the bridge were completely cut off and farmers could not move their farm products to urban center.

“We earlier came here for assessment, we saw what happened and compiled our reports after that government promised that something will be done.

“We are glad to see that something is done as we are here on assessment again. We realise that the Federal Government has intervened. You can see that the bridge is almost completed and we say kudos to the government,” Wenegieme said.

She disclosed that initially the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu were planning to deploy local canons in the communities when the rains becomes very heavy.

“But we thank God that the bridge is almost completed and you can see that people of the communities have started using the bridge so there is no need of bringing any canon to this community again,” she said.

Wenegieme said that FEMA had carried out an aggressive campaign in the area as the agency covered almost 25 communities in the area council.

Mr Abba Nasiru of Schwartz Construction Ltd., the company handling the bridge project said the work was about to be completed.

“Actually, the work is on and we are about to complete it. As you can see, we have laid the asphalt work, we are just waiting for some finishing touches like the shoulders and the rest.

“Before we move in to start the project, the situation was terrible because all this place by the left hand side were seriously eroded.

“Even the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development people that came for supervision, when they saw the situation of the bridge as at now, they were happy with the level of the work done,” he said.