FEMA Reopens Galadimawa Slip Road, Others
By: Prudence Okonna
As the dry season is approaching, the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has removed the barricade blocking the Galadimawa interchange slip road, coming from Games Village heading towards the Airport Road popularly called Galadimawa roundabout.
The slip road which is vulnerable to flood was barricaded at the onset of the raining season precisely on the May 11, 2023, as part of FEMA’s mitigative efforts to protect the lives and property of residents plying the road.
Speaking during the official removal of the road this Saturday, Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, Florence Wenegieme, said the removal of the barricade is to improve free flow of traffic on the Galadimawa axis.
Her words: “We are here in collaboration with the Engineering Department and our Private sector counterparts to remove the barricade used in blocking the Galadimawa slip road which is part of the mitigative measures put in place by FEMA to save lives and property, especially when the rains became heavy”.
She explained that the decision to unblock the roads was based on Nigeria Hydrological Agency and NiMETs predictions of climate weather focus which read that there will be little or no showers for this month.
Her words: “It was reported by NiMET that the rains in FCT are all over except for possible showers that will come. You all know that it will not lead to flooding in any location except we have river flooding coming from upstream down to this location but flooding is not expected in any of these locations we are unlocking today”.
Wenegieme, however, revealed that even if there will be rains in the FCT, it wouldn’t be enough to cause flood disasters, hence, FEMA’s decision to remove the barricades accross the different locations.
Other locations where the barricades were removed include Dogon gada, Dogon ruwa, Apo Dutse, among other roads in Bwari, Kwali and Abaji Area council.
The Director noted that ever since FEMA started putting the barricades as a mitigative measure at the various locations, there has not been any record of loss of lives from flood.
She assured residents of FCT that according to Nigerian Hydrological Agency, the water from Lado dam will not come to FCT; adding that the barricade will still be within the vicinity and Volunteers and vanguards will be on stand by for the safety of residents.
Wenegieme expressed appreciation on behalf of the Acting Director-General FEMA, Mohammed Ibrahim Sabo, to the FCT residents for their patience throughout the period the roads were blocked.
Recall that there was a flood disaster which occurred in 2019 and claimed lives on the Galadimawa slip road and this necessitated the seasonal blockade of the road from then onwards
