By Saheed Afolabi
Lagosians have been urged to get ready for more rains.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned of heavy rainfall and possible flooding in most southern cities from June 29 to 30.
The agency said heavy rainfall is anticipated over parts of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River and parts of Taraba.
The agency also warned that there will be flooding of roads, low-lying settlements and river channels in these states.
It advised residents to avoid low-lying areas, desist from driving through running water, clear waterways of debris and avoid standing under trees and unsecured structures during the rain.
Residents of the cities were also advised to switch off electrical appliances before the rains to avoid electric shock.
Lagos residents have been advised to cooperate with the state government as it is set to proffer a permanent solution to flooding in the state.
This came following the destructive flooding that ravaged the city last week.
The State Government said it is on top of the situation, strategising measures to tackle the menace in the State.
Last week, for more than seven hours, Lagosians witnessed non-stopping heavy downpour.
The consequence of the downpour was flooding that caused disasters in the city.
Some victims of the disaster have been counting their loses both human lives and properties.
This occurred in number of places across the State as about seven people lost their lives to the flood including two siblings – teenagers, who reportedly died while trying to rescue their youngest sibling.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed that the flood claimed seven lives.
The Zonal Coordinator, South West, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Lagos.
“The post-emergency phase assessment after the unprecedented rainfall of Friday, 8th July and Saturday, 9th July, 2022 has revealed that about seven people – three children of same parent and four adults – died.
“About eight lives were also saved during the period, as a result of the flooding that was witnessed during the two-day continuous rainfall,” he said.
Mr Farinloye said the three siblings who lost their lives were residing at a church building belonging to Mercy of Christ Apostolic Church, situated in an uncompleted building.
He said the siblings, Michael, 18, Elizabeth, 17, and Timi, 14, were swept away while trying to relocate from their room to the main church structure.
He said that the youngest child, Timi, who was said to be asthmatic, while trying to climb the plank linking their room to the church building, slipped and was overpowered by the flood.
The coordinator added that the remaining two while trying to rescue their sibling, were also swept away by the flood.
Farinloye said the NEMA team, while on a condolence visit to the families, met with representatives of Progressive Community Development Area, who conducted the agency around the affected communities.
“The bereaved parents were said to be somewhere, but the NEMA team had a brief meeting with the community leaders on the way forward.
“An appeal was made to them that for the rest of the year, the community must embark on awareness and sensitisation on safe actions, to avoid the situation that they experienced during the period.
“The community leaders also informed NEMA that in the same community, four siblings were also swept away on the same day, but that the community members rallied round and rescued all of them,” Mr Farinloye said.
He listed the flooded communities as Oke Isagun and Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, in Alimosho.
The NEMA chief said members of the Progressive CDA briefed NEMA that rainwater from Meiran, Abbatoir, Alagbado, Agege, and Toll gate converged on their community.
Farinloye also gave an update on the flood at Oyatoki in Orile Agege, saying that two people died, while four were rescued.
Residents are panic as it is forecast that heavier downpour is expected in Lagos.
Meanwhile, political opposition party in Lagos has been taking advantage of the situation to play politics on the residents.
For instance, the media team of the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, also known as Jandor, issued a statement not only subtly blaming the state government for the flood but purportedly claiming that he was setting up a Disaster Recovery Team across the state to come to the aid of flood victims.
According to the statement: “Jandor has reached out to some of the victims earlier in the week, but the situation became worrisome today with the torrential rain that has lasted for about seven hours. It is disheartening to see the good people of the state suffer such neglect and huge discomfort. This disaster is preventable and avoidable at least to the bearable minimum.”
Jandor himself in his statement admits that there was “torrential rain that has lasted for about seven hours”.
However, social observers questioned Jandor’s knowledge of such flood and the situation.
Ademola Adedigba a lawyer asked: “Does Jandor know the difference between flooding and flash flooding? Did he ask his team to undertake the necessary research before issuing the statement that amounted to political grandstanding and a display of comical ignorance? Surely, more is expected from one who aspires to become the governor of Lagos State and must be known to be diligent, profound, meticulous and refraining at all from frivolity in his public discourse.
“The question is: for how long did flood water remain on the streets and drains across the state when the rain eventually stopped? The flood water had subsided and cleared within 24 and at most 48 hours in heavily hit areas. This is a natural and routine occurrence in several, especially low-lying areas across the world both in developed and underdeveloped countries.
“What does Jandor really know about Lagos? Is he aware of the relationship between the geographical location of Lagos relative to the sea and the vulnerability of many parts of the state to flooding?
“Experts estimate that Lagos is less than two metres above sea level and that some parts of the state may well be below sea level. That means that flooding is a phenomenon that the state must continue to cope with even as it strives to continue to improve on the knowledge, skills and technology to mitigate its effects.”
Apart from embarking on drain evacuation, the state government has promised to present adequate fund for the successful provision of the permanent solution.
Linking the cause of the flooding in Lagos to climate change, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, said outfitted with high-capacity tanks would be delivered, while drain desilt across the affected areas in Lagos
He said: “A permanent solution to the issue of flooding would be put in place before the end of the year, but I want to assure residents that measure are being taken to tackle the menace.
“The major problem responsible for flooding is the depressing nature of the area which has made it difficult for water to naturally drain into the canals. What was experienced in Lagos last week are the effects of climate change as Lagos is one of the cities projected as one of the sinking cities in the world.
“I advise residents of Lagos Island to desist from dumping refuse into drains and canals and take ownership of the environment by moving against property developers who litter drains with building materials which prevent flowing drains.”
