Lagos Flood: Kalejaiye cautions residents, tasks Sanwo-olu on drainage clearing, construction
Akin Olayemi
Head of Otumara community, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye has appealed to the Lagos residents to desist from blocking the drainage channels with refuse as he tasked Lagos State Government and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources on drainage clearing and completion of abandoned drainage channels in the State.
Kalejaiye in a statement made available to newsexplorersng.com made the appeal following the heavy flood experienced in most parts of Lagos State on Thursday.
While making a case for the Lagos State Government, he said residents in the State are culpable of the flood that is being experienced in the Lagos.
He stated that residents with their carefree attitude have turned the drainage channel into a refuse bin which caused blockage and flood with a slight rainfall.
He said, “We need to refine our attitude to our environment. We cannot be putting all the blame on the doorstep of the government. The people are responsible for flooding the drainage systems in their respective communities and not the government.
Or how do we explain a situation whereby residents dump their waste in the drainage channel?
Many residents in the Ebute Meta (west) of Lagos Mainland particularly residents in Streets like Thomas ,Shyllon, Ibarapa off Park road, Oke-olu, and Otumara community have their homes filled with filthy water from the canal.
The flood as I have stated earlier is due to the blockage of the canal that runs through the Railway compound to Alaka.
I want to implore the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources to visit Otumara community and other affected streets to feel the pain of residents.
The commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources is from the Lagos Mainland and he is familiar with the situations in the affect streets. Blocked drainage and flood are major problems we have been battling with.
I am missing this medium to invite Commissioner Hon Tunji Bello to visit our community. I am certain he will feel our pain and do the needful. I have received loads of complaints from residents about the damage caused to their homes by the flood.
Yes it is a two way thing. The Lagos State Government has a role to play in ensuring strict enforcement of the environment laws and make the environment more habitable, so are residents too need to be responsible and desist from throwing their waste in the drainage channel.
For instance, in Iyana-Ejigbo, Surulere, Mushin and Ikeja Along are flooded whenever it rains. This is because of the blocked drainage project in these districts.
Also, residents in Iyana-Ejigbo have been battling with flooding for many years and as the rain is starting this year, I am appealing to Gov Sanwo-Olu to see to the completion of the abandoned project and ensure that whatever is responsible for the incessant flood in the community is addressed. Same goes to Surulere, Ikeja and other parts of the State. Rainy season should come with comfort but it calls for questioning when rather than brings comfort to homes, it gives discomfort.”
Meanwhile, Kalejaiye has commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu for putting smiles on the faces of the family of KAI/LAGSEC officer, Moshood Olalekan who was stoned to death in the course of duty in 2017.
Sanwo-olu presented a cheque of N5million as compensation to the family of the deceased.
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