The Lagos State Government on Friday allayed fears of Lagos Island residents regarding the recent flooding experienced, assuring residents that necessary measures are in place to effectively manage the floods.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the assurance when he spoke with newsmen on Friday.
Wahab spoke after an assessment tour to check the level of work as regards the Lagos Island regeneration project.
He said when the urban regeneration project is completed, it will address the perennial flooding issues in Adeniji, Oroyinyin, Idumagbo, Ojo Giwa, Jankara, Aroloya, and environs.
He said: “The ongoing urban regeneration construction work is causing a bit of inconvenience for Lagos Island residents and we apologise.
“We can’t make an omelette without breaking the egg shell. So the inconvenience is temporary for us to give a permanent solution to what has become a disturbing phenomenon on Lagos Island for a while.”
Wahab said the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the team consisting of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and Ministry of Infrastructure and Works had been to Lagos and environs to ascertain the level of work, adding that the team is happy with the pace at which the project is moving.
According to him: “Thankfully the governor had awarded the regeneration of Lagos Island.
“We are giving out the job to regenerate the whole of Lagos Island with urban planning, drainage, and then road infrastructure.
“And this morning we have come to check what LASURA has been up to in the past few months and we are glad with the work done.
“They are taking a new position.
“They are raising the roads’ height as well as constructing drainage.
“And you have seen the quality of what is being done there.”
Wahab said the government set up a pumping station at Adeniji Adele Underbridge temporarily to pump out storm water in Aroloya Street, Ojo-Giwa, Binuyo, Oroyinyin, and other areas in Lagos Island following the flooding of the areas due to ongoing constructions.
He said the pumping station would allow the construction work to continue unabated in other areas.
He added: “The urban regeneration completion would be in phases, which would be between nine, 15, 18, and 24 months.
“So in a maximum of two years, the project would be completed.”
The Commissioner instructed that the illegal shanties constructed on the drainage channel of King Ado High School on Ojo Giwa be removed, whilst also instructing that a building under construction on Idi Oluwo be sealed for dumping their building materials on the drainage channel.
Wahab reiterated that the Ministry would continue to ramp up its advocacy campaign on the ban of Styrofoam, adding that there is no going back on the ban of single use plastics.
He said: “So, on our part, we keep doing the advocacy and then we would not just dangle the carrot, we would also enforce and sanction people that are not ready to comply and just outrightly incorrigible.
“We just want to appeal to our citizens to desist from the unwholesome acts of dumping of wastes on the roads, road medians, drainages, and open spaces.
“Because the act is a recipe for a crisis beyond flooding, health challenges and other things.”
Wahab recalled that recently the Federal Government issued a statement that some states would be flooded, assuring that Lagos State is prepared and has empowered the EFAG team to work throughout the year.
He said: “Lagos State is prepared for it and it is an annual thing.
“Nature will take its course between April and sometime later in the year.
“So what we have done in the past few months is we have been upgrading our infrastructure.
“We have never stopped for a day.
“We work round the clock at the ministry.
“We also use our EFAG Team all year round to help deflood and desilt most of our drainage.
“We are also appealing to our citizens to continually clean their tertiary drainages from time to time.”
Wahab mentioned that the Ketu perishable foods market that was sealed on Thursday had been open a few hours ago because the government has observed their level of compliance, adding that they cleaned up the market all through the night.
He said: “Market is the first point of contact for most people.
“Once the cleaning of those markets are done, we unseal them.
“We have unsealed the perishable markets because they worked overnight and we saw the level of compliance and we unsealed like one hour ago.
“I would like to reiterate that all these markets have been served abatement notices severally without obeying.
“People cannot continue to be recalcitrants and forget that the government will enforce.
“So we had enforced.
“People had intervened and we said, let them do the right thing by cleaning up the market.
“LAWMA is doing so much.
“LAWMA is also intervening where the PSP operators are challenged.
“That is an ongoing narrative with us.
“You saw the LAWMA trucks this morning wading in and packing those wastes at the market.”
The Commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi- Akodu; Permanent Secretaries, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Gaji Tajudeen; Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; Office of Infrastructure, Engr. Lateef Shomide; MD LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegeshin; LASWMO GM, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi; KAI Corps Marshall, Major Olatubosun Cole (retd.); and other Directors from the Ministry and its Agencies.
Places visited included Ojo Giwa, Binuyo, Aroloya, Okoya Street, Dosumu, Oroyinyin Upstream, Odi-Oluwo, and Adeniji Adele under bridge.
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