MICHAEL AKINOLA
The residents of Oko filling, Otunba Oladokun and Ogunmeru Street under Ikotun/Igando Local Council Development Area of Lagos State have appealed to the State Government to intervene over the unprecedented flooding, which has ruined businesses and destroyed properties worth millions of Naira in the area.
Apart from ruining businesses and destruction of properties, it has posed serious traffic gridlock on Igando/LASU expressway due to blockage of drainages in the area.
Last week, the residents lamented over the ugly experiences of the flood in the community, which claimed the life of a vulcanizer, identified as Issa Adewusi, who could not survive while trying to assist other residents during the heavy downpour.
One of the residents and Group Managing Director of Millennia Savvy Oil and Gas Services, Apostle Promise Benjamin Paul, has appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the Commissioner for Environment, Hon.Tunji Bello, including the Ministry of Rural and Urban Planning and other stakeholders for quick intervention by constructing a standard drainage, which would connect and channel water to the Odo-Eran canal.
He said, “My name is Apostle Promise Benjamin Pius. By the grace of God, I am the Group MD of Millennia Group of Companies, of which Millennia Services Oil and Gas, as a subsidiary, is an integral part”.
Apostle Pius stated that they have been doing business in the area for sometime but the issues with flooding in the environment has destroyed businesses in the area.
“Anytime it rains, this area is covered by flood because the channels that carry water away along the expressway are very narrow. So because of the garbage dump here, when the flood is moving it carries a lot of debris and then block the channel, which is also very narrow. The channel is done with rigs, so it can be excavated and widened so that water can flow easily down to the canal at Ojolo Bus Stop. Also, there is a canal behind this building which has also been blocked by waste from the garbage dump here. So, water has nowhere to follow to and because of that my filling station here is like in a valley. Water flows from Igando General Hospital down here and then water flows from Laide Bus Stop down here, so they settle around here.”
“The last rain that fell, this whole place was submerged and it took some days before it dried up. And when it dried up, our facilities were destroyed. You can see behind me that there is a storage tank that was destroyed that we are going to repair; it is costing us over 2 million Naira to do this. We don’t have products now because we don’t know when the next rain will come. Because if the rain falls, as you can see over underground tunnels are filled with water.”
Apostle Pius stated that the stakeholders and CDA members have tried their best and made contributions every year to control the flooding but it has not worked and it needs the intervention of the Lagos State Government to finally address it.
He lamented that the residents could not hide their feelings as he made reference to such an incident seven years ago as a disaster, which prompted protest and the relocation of some residents who rented apartments within the area as the safety of their lives and property were not ascertained.
Another resident, Prince Sunday Adeyemi, also lamented over the flooding in the area, which he described as terrible experience whenever rain falls in the area.
He also appealed to the Lagos State Government to urgently assist the residents to solve this issue of flooding because they have been supporting the Government led by the Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He stated that the area has Senators, House of Assembly members and other stakeholders and they should join hands with the Lagos State Government to solve the problem of flooding in the area for them to enjoy peace and continue with their businesses.