It is the same old song and dance. This time, it is about Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, which has come under the threat of the bulldozers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, for demolition.

A little over a week ago, the residents of the estate were shocked when a one-hour heavy downpour led to massive flooding of the area. Many vehicles were carried off. Houses were submerged to roof levels while many of them collapsed. The scale of human casualties is yet to be disclosed by the authorities.

Experts say much of the estate is in the natural passageway of floods. But what has become contentious over the havoc wreaked on the estate and surrounding areas by flood was the fact that much of the storm water came from elsewhere. Many drainage channels in nearby and far-flung communities are directed toward the area in which the estate was built and hence the flash-flood that overwhelmed the district.

How did people come to build in an area that is obviously a natural waterway? Many homeowners and residents swear they were made to relocate to the area by past FCT regimes, particularly that of Nasir el-Rufai, a former Minister renowned for demolishing many estates due to their alleged contravention of the Abuja master-plan. How could El-Rufai, a professional surveyor, or any other official who should be conversant with the Capital Territory’s master-plan relocate people to such a dangerous place?

Was it a case of carelessness or barefaced malicious behaviour? Many people who found themselves in places like Trademore were victims of demolitions in other districts of Abuja. How can government continue to hound ordinary citizens whose only offence is that they dared to invest their hard-earned money to build homes or offices of their own in the nation’s capital?

A careful look at Trademore Estate and surrounding areas shows that the lasting solution to the flooding is not blind demolition of every building in sight. Even in Lagos, much of the problem of lowland area flooding has been solved by the building of wide and deep canals. This is what Trademore Estate needs. Except for houses sitting in the direct pathway of floodwaters, we believe canalisation can save the day. There is no need to throw away the baby with the bathwater.

The channelisation programme of Abuja must be holistic and done in a manner that people can safely build and live in their homes without fear of the floods and government officials and bulldozers. Government officials must comport themselves with emotional intelligence when dealing with ordinary people. Whenever government needs to remove structures, it must be for the overall public good.

All affected law-abiding citizens must be adequately catered for. Trademore Estate should be salvaged, not destroyed.

Update news