Fear of epidemic looms in FESTAC town: cost of sewage repairs N12b

Epidemic is looming in Festac Town as the Federal Government is yet to find a lasting solution to its degradation despite appeal by residents. Most worrisome is the estate’s central system which damaged over 27 years ago, due to lack of maintenance. As a result of this, residents had, over the years, diverted their sewage line to storm water drainage.
The fear now is that faeces are found in open drains in the estate, the practice, which residents said could cause major outbreak of epidemic in Festac if nothing is done to rehabilitate its central sewage system put at the cost of N12 billion. Fectac Town used to be a super estate crafted with modern architecture, building development, infrastructure and engineering.
Speaking with the National Mirror, the President of Festac Residents’ Association, Mr. Jola Ogunlusi, said: “The crisis now is that many houses have diverted their sewage line to storm water drainage, which is an underground drainage meant to carry both bath and kitchen water to the open drainage.
“Many people have linked the chamber with toilet wastes, and in the process, they are now diverted to open drains which is a source of epidemic. In some areas, we will see waste busting out, messing the surrounding.”
He stated that UN-Habitat’s officials with executives of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and residents’ association took a tour of the sewage system up to the treatment plant located at Satellite Town three years ago. He said the outcome of the tour revealed that it would cost N12 billion to rehabilitated the central sewage system. According to him, it was concluded that UN-Habitat could assist in rehabilitating the sewage system put at a cost of N12 billion.
On what has been done since then, he said, “I am sure, UN- Habitat sent a report to the government but nothing has been done. The pumping station is no longer functioning. FESTAC has 7 pumping stations within community 1, 2 and 3 from where waste is pumped to the treatment plant at satellite town.
This is what UN-Habitat wants to help to repair,” he said. When contacted, Spokesperson for FHA, Mr. Tunde Ipinmosho, confirmed that a team of UN-Habitat recently visited Festac to access its degradation and to look at steps to address it especially the collapsed central sewage system.
According to him, ait is going to be gradual process having found out that the central sewage system is capital intensive.
Besides, he hinted that the issue of Festac’s degradation had gone beyond the authority as President Goodluck Jonathan had recently sent a team of experts led by the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Ama Peppe to carry out assessment of the estate and do a report which is to be submitted to him.
According to him, the report will or must have been submitted to the president. On the current efforts by FHA to fix some of the infrastructures in Festac, he disclosed that the rehabilitation of the mini water work in FESTAC is receiving attention, adding that FHA is working with some water engineers called KOPILA to restore water supply to the estate.

National Mirror