By Johnson Idowu
The Lagos State Government says it is targeting between 90 and 95 per cent success in flood control ahead of the 2027 rainy season through resilient infrastructure and year-round drainage maintenance.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this during an inspection of projects and disputed sites in Oregun, Surulere and Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos on Saturday.
Wahab said the state had recorded between 75 and 80 per cent success in tackling flooding over the past few years but was working to improve the figure through additional infrastructure and environmental policies.
“The target is to move above 75 to 80 per cent, up to 90 or 95 per cent. That is why this governor and his deputy have been deliberate in all facets: putting resilient infrastructure in place and deploying the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to work all year round,” he said.
He, however, said the state could not eliminate flooding because of its coastal location and the effects of tidal movements, heavy rainfall and rising sea levels.
He continued, “You can’t have 100 per cent success against flooding unless you want to play the ostrich. This state is a coastal state.
“People can politicise it and say what they want, but it is scientifically proven that a coastal state with some areas below sea level will experience tidal locks when there is heavy rainfall, excessive heat and sea level rise.”
The commissioner appealed to residents not to panic when flash flooding occurred, saying the water would recede after some time.
“We appeal to Lagosians that once it happens, hold back for one or two hours, and the water will have receded. The infrastructure we are putting in place is resilient enough to help the state deflood substantially,” he added.
Wahab said the government was also strengthening its environmental policies, including the ban on Styrofoam and efforts to phase out single-use plastics, to prevent waste from blocking drainage channels.
“These are policies that were deliberate, scientifically driven, and we are glad we did what we had to do without allowing politics to cloud our sense of judgment,” he said.
The commissioner also warned residents about the effects of the unusually hot weather associated with the El Niño season, advising them to drink enough water and stay hydrated.
He said the changing weather conditions were part of a global pattern linked to climate change, adding that flooding incidents had also been recorded in other parts of the world.
On the inspection exercise, Wahab said the ministry was reviewing projects and responding to complaints from residents over alleged encroachment on government drainage channels and private property.
At the Oregun Mixed-Use Scheme, he said the ministry visited the area following complaints by property owners who alleged that auto mechanics had occupied parts of their land and encroached on a natural drainage route known as System One.
He said the ministry had reassured the property owners that their government-approved titles and Certificates of Occupancy were secure, while directing the mechanics to vacate the affected land.
In Surulere, the commissioner said the ministry investigated a petition alleging that construction by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation had encroached on the right-of-way of a drainage channel.
Wahab said the ministry invited the agency’s managing director and conducted physical measurements in the presence of stakeholders, which showed that the construction had not encroached on the drainage channel.
“We took physical measurements, and they were not anywhere near the right-of-way, and there was no encroachment on our drainage channel. The measurement was taken in front of everybody, so it was not something we did in secret,” he said.
He added that the ministry had approved a culvert for the development and confirmed during the inspection that it had been constructed according to the approved design.
At Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Wahab said the inspection was to address concerns raised by residents over alleged encroachment on a drainage alignment.
He said the ministry had visited the location on previous occasions and returned to confirm that the drainage structure did not encroach on the government’s drainage channel.
“This is our third time coming to that particular project point, and there are no encroachments. I was here with the Deputy Governor last weekend after leaving the sanitation; there are no encroachments on our own alignment,” he said.
The commissioner said the ministry had advised those involved not to remove the culvert, explaining that it was installed for safety reasons. He also said the high-tension cables in the area were not affected.
The inspection in Osborne Foreshore Estate II followed a recent controversy over the development at Abba Court, on Mahogany Close, involving Kenshad International Limited.
The Guardian had reported on November 3 that the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, and a delegation of government officials were kept waiting for more than 30 minutes after the entrance to the disputed construction site remained locked during an inspection visit on October 31.
The visit had followed complaints by residents, who alleged that the developer had carried out construction activities beneath high-tension electricity lines, covered part of a canal with concrete slabs and narrowed water outlets through sand-filling activities.
They had also warned that the alleged obstruction could disrupt drainage and increase the risk of flooding.
However, the developer, Ken Ukaoha, denied deliberately locking out the deputy governor, saying the site was closed because workers had been directed to stay away following a circular from the estate management.
He also denied obstructing the drainage channel or violating planning regulations.
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