The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has barricaded the Dogon Gada box culvert, which is on the verge of collapse, to prevent the loss of lives.

Florence Wenegieme, FEMA’s director of forecasting, response, and mitigation, led the exercise in Abuja on Sunday and described the development as a disaster waiting to happen.

Ms Wenegieme explained that the culvert was on the access road that linked Lokogoma village, popularly known as the Dogon Gada community, to Ring Road II.

She described the culvert as one of the vulnerable locations in the FCT, particularly to flooding during the rainy season.

According to her, many community members have lost their lives while trying to cross the culvert during the rainy season due to flooding.

“We tried to stop vehicular movement along the road to no avail and to avert further loss of lives, we have decided to barricade the road completely,” Ms Wenegieme said.

She noted that the area was under Phase III of the Abuja Master Plan, adding that the development of the area was yet to commence, as the development of Phase II was ongoing.

Ms Wenegieme stressed the need for a standard box culvert to be constructed at the location to enable community members to access the expressway (Ring Road II).

She explained that the barricade was a temporary mitigative measure pending when the culvert would be constructed.

The ward head of Lokogoma Village, Irimiya Kanpani, explained that the box culvert was constructed in 2016 through community efforts.

Mr Kanpani also said that about 3,000 community members mobilise resources every year to maintain the culvert, which finally gave way a few days ago.

He appealed to the federal government, the FCT Minister, and the chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council to help them.

(NAN)