The Lagos State Government has ordered owners of buildings on drainage alignment at System 63B – Sangotedo to vacate the premises.
A Monday statement revealed that this was communicated to the defaulters on Sunday during an inspection tour of various contravention sites by a government team led by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
Wahab said the government would continue to enforce the law while reclaiming drainage setbacks.
Wahab said the inspection team, led by him, was out for a normal routine to ascertain the state of some drainage channels, noting that most flooding issues were majorly caused by negative human activity.
The commissioner was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji, and the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mahamood Adegbite.
The statement said during the visit to Aladelola Street in Ikosi–Ketu, it was observed that “some criminally-minded individuals had cut the supporting iron under the culvert which caused the collapse of the channel.”
He added that the state public works office would cordon off the road and repairs would commence immediately.
The team also visited Victory Estate collector, Ago Palace Way, where some unscrupulous individuals blocked water paths and canals and engaged in illegal sand filling and selling.
The commissioner mentioned that an enforcement team had earlier been sent, noting that the visit was to check enforcement and compliance levels.
Wahab said, “We are here as a result of a written petition by residents complaining about several distortions; there has been a lot of distortion on these canals and roads by some individuals which have been causing flooding in the area.”
While explaining the process of serving contravention notices, Wahab said property owners whose buildings and fences fell within drainage channels would first be served a 48-hour notice followed by another 14-day notice before the commencement of enforcement.
In April, the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Department of the Ministry of Environment, demolished a structure serving as a restaurant on a drainage setback along Ademola Tokunbo Street, Victoria Island.
