Residents of Efab estate Abuja lament poor services

The estate houses many FCT residents who probably pay premium fees to become tenants and landlords there as the case may be. But despite the popularity of the estate, investigations by Daily Trust revealed that residents that live there are not enjoying basic infrastructure like potable water, electricity supply and good road network befitting an […]

The estate houses many FCT residents who probably pay premium fees to become tenants and landlords there as the case may be. But despite the popularity of the estate, investigations by Daily Trust revealed that residents that live there are not enjoying basic infrastructure like potable water, electricity supply and good road network befitting an estate of its status.
A resident, Joan Fredrick, told Daily Trust that the roads that  connect the estate to the outside world are in a deplorable state and have  caused untold hardship to residents  who drive there on daily basis.
She said the harrowing experience residents pass through has led to several man hour’s lost and also put the cost of repairing and maintaining their cars on the high side.
She said there is persistent lack of water supply in the estate which has compelled the residents to resort to buying water from water vendors.
Bright Collins, who also resides in the estate, said the security situation in the estate is terrible as there are many outlets  on the perimeter fence which miscreant and thieves often use as escape routes after  robbing residents of their valuables.
Another major concern to the residents is the issue of waste evacuation which they say has not been regular.
Babalade Ojotayo told Daily Trust that waste evacuation by those entrusted with it in the estate has reduced in recent time.
He said that waste is now being evacuated twice in a week, leaving many refuse bins filled to the brim with offensive odour.
Worried by these happenings, the estate’s Landlords and Tenants Association has risen to the occasion by taking steps to address the situation.
A statement issued by the association dated 9th September 2014 addressed to the residents informed them of the restoration of potable water in addition to the installation of individual meters to those who have paid the sum of N5,000 and N35,000 for meter/installation.
The association assured the residents of 24 hours water supply, encouraging them to submit their names, house addresses and telephone numbers with a copy of tier teller to enable water board locate their houses for the installation.
However, a resident, Musiliu Haruna, said similar levies paid in the past by residents went down the drain without any positive result.
“We won’t mind paying the levies if we are sure that the money will be utilized and the problems facing us as residents squarely addressed,’’ he said.
An expert in the real estate sector, Kola Olayiwola, of Kabola Associates  said “The FCTA, as part of public private partnership with developers operating in the FCT, is to provide primary infrastructure which has to do with main electrifications, water provision and road network that any estate within the vicinity can tap to improve the living conditions of residents.”
The developers, on their own part, are to provide the secondary infrastructure which has to do with facilities within the estate.
“So in the case of Efab Estate, my observation is that the main connecting roads have been abandoned by the FCTA to the mercy of the residents,” he said.
On the issues of waste evacuation, security arrangement and other essential services within the estate, he noted that the estate’s management has the responsibility to address that because it falls within the purview of the ‘secondary services’ they are supposed to provide as the owners of the estate.