NEWS: LAGOS GOVT SEALS BUILDING ON DRAINAGE SYSTEM

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Agency Report

An ongoing construction facility used to store components for the drainage system was sealed off Thursday by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

The directive was issued by Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, while he was inspecting projects and locations on Lagos Island and the surrounding area.

Wahab, who was displeased with the activities going on in the area, said the materials were blocking the drainage system, hence the seal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the building that was sealed was situated at No. 109, Alakoro Str. in Lagos Island.

“They are stacking their materials on the road and our drainage system.

“The materials were stacked on our drainage system, and it is not allowed.

“They block the drainage system by doing that, so that is why we say they should serve the notices so they can move those materials and clean the system, and then we will unseal them,” he said.

Talking about the visit and inspection on Lagos Island, Wahab said the visit was aimed at regeneration of the area.

“This is a different section of Lagos Island, and this should be our second or third time on this axis of Lagos Island.

“Thankfully, the state government, through Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has awarded the regeneration of the Lagos Island drainage system and even the road infrastructure.

“But we also noticed there are one or two areas and collectors that are very critical to deflooding Lagos Island that were not captured in that plan.

“So, this morning we are here to look at this Olusi Bombata collector as well as the Alagbafo collector, and what we all saw is not something we are happy about,” he said.

He added that people had wilfully built on this collector, which was disappointing, saying it would be difficult to maintain the infrastructures if built on it.

“We are not happy with what we saw because people have wilfully built on it, and when you build on those infrastructures, how do you expect us to maintain those infrastructures?

“They have abused those infrastructures, and the job-giving directive to the appropriate department is to serve the notices.

“By weekend, we are coming back here to see the level of compliance. You can’t, and we won’t allow anybody make this state a state where life becomes nasty, brutish, and short,” he said.

He added that these were public infrastructure built for public use, assuring everyone it would be stopped.

“We are going to clear those things and then keep the maintenance going, then find a way to re-award or award the contract,” he said.

When asked if the local governments were in sync with the ministry over the cleanup of the environment, Wahab said they had been cooperating fully well with the ministry.

“Thankfully, in Lagos, we work with our local governments, though there are still some gaps we have to iron out, but the markets are exclusively under the local government.

“However, that does not give them the power or rights to infringe on a law like the environmental law of the state that provides for the setback that must be allowed between a collector and a builder.

“That’s what we are just trying to enforce here. We are not having issues with our local government.

“If anything, we’ve had the most wonderful relationship with our local government,” he said.

Wahab added that the state would continue to advocate and enforce the law to ensure a clean environment.

“Continuous advocacy and enforcement is key because a lot of people feel that the government waits for them to build on that bridge before going in.

“The wheel of justice may be slow, but it usually grinds to a halt somehow. So we keep advocating that they should not do it, because some people are just recalcitrant.

“They are incorrigible, so for those persons, they would deliberately do it, believing the government would never come, and whenever we come or we observe it, we remove it.

“We are always very slow to wield a big stick, but we emphasise more on the advocacy this year,” he said.

He added that the advocacy would be an ongoing program just like for the styrofoams, among others.

“We will continue the enlightenment, like we are doing for styrofoam and single-use plastics, which are going to be phased out this year, with other kinds of things that we don’t want in these states.

We must collectively protect the states, and the citizens must take ownership and make us achieve that,” he said.

NAN reports that the areas visited in Lagos Island were Salvage Lane, Elagbata, Ebute Ero, Alakoro, and Oke Arin, among others.

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