(Commissioner of Works during the inspection of damaged Ikotun road)
Following more reports of areas affected by continuous rainfalls, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab again led ministry officials to identify spots on Friday, stating that the Government is aware that there’s a lot to be done and would not relent in its effort to ensure the state is livable for all.
Mr. Wahab, who was in the company of the Special Adviser on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Permanent Secretaries, Drainage Services and Water Resources, Olalekan Shodeinde and Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji said it is a major task to which the administration is committed.
Speaking after the inspection tour, the Commissioner said the government is paying the desired attention to clearing the one-kilometre Rosellas Conduit drain by Hotel Bus Stop to completely stop flooding, calling for the provision of more manholes along LASU – Igando road for easy cleaning.
He said his Ministry and that of Works and Infrastructure would move fast to fix the Ikotun Primary Channel and ensure that a portion of the road that collapsed by the Ikotun Bus stop is fixed immediately to allow easy passage of rainstorm water and avoid flooding issues.
At the Ogba Area of the State, the Commissioner identified shops located opposite the Area G Police Station that will be removed after serving mandatory notices, because they are built on drainage right of way.
Advising residents to avoid indiscriminate waste disposal and always bear in mind that climate change is real, Wahab enjoined residents to take ownership of infrastructures built for their benefit, stressing that the Government would step up its advocacy and sensitisation campaign on unwholesome waste disposal by the people which is a major contributor to flooding.
He explained that the Ministry’s agencies like Lagso State Parks and Gardens Agency and Lagos Waste Management Authority will, as a matter of necessity, ensure that the environment is clean and increase the greenery, while the enforcement of environmental laws will be enforced by KAI using the judicial system.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu implored traders to desist from selling on the roads, medians and sidewalks because studies have shown that refuse generated from their sales most times are dumped on the roads, saying, “It is regrettable that many of the channels that were earlier cleaned are being littered with refuse”.
He added that residents should always maintain the drainages, especially the tertiary ones, and bear in mind that these infrastructures have been provided with taxes paid to the Government.
Areas visited include Rosellas Channel on LASU-Igando Road, Oko Oloyun Channel also at Igando, Ikotun Bus Stop Primary Channel as well as Area G Channel in Ogba to investigate the causes of flooding and road degradation in the area towards proferring necessary solutions.
