The 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has criticized the state government for neglecting an overgrown canal in Lekki, which disrupts water flow, while proceeding with house demolitions.
Rhodes-Vivour made this criticism in a video shared on his X
He argued that clearing canals is easier than demolishing buildings.
“Here is a Canal in Lekki overgrown with weeds that disrupts the free flow of water. As i always say, It is far easier to clear canals than it is to demolish buildings,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
Commissioner of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, responded dismissively, saying, “Eventually you’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner noted that operatives from the Drainage Maintenance Department of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources were actively engaged in cleaning, de-flooding, dredging, and silt evacuation from System 5 Primary Channel in Surulere LGA to mitigate flooding risks.
Wahab disclosed this in a statement shared on social media on Thursday.
“Operatives of Drainage Maintenance Department from Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources @LasgMOE continued with the cleaning/ de flooding, maintenance dredging and evacuation of silts from System 5 Primary Channel (Masha -Bab Animashaun) Surulere LGA on Monday 01/07/2024 to prevent flooding in the axis.”
In April, officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources began demolishing buildings constructed over drainage systems in Ojota and Ogudu.
The ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina, announced that this action followed the expiration of notices issued to property owners to remove the unauthorized structures.
In October and November 2023, numerous buildings were also demolished in areas such as Lekki, Ikota, International Trade Fair, Agungi, and other parts of the state.
The state government cited the illegal positioning of these buildings as the reason for their removal.
Adeshina further stated that the ministry had conducted several stakeholder meetings with the property owners, during which none could provide valid titles for their properties situated on the drainage channels.
He added, “The removal exercise which followed the expiration of several served contravention notices on the property owners was carried out by operatives of the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance with security back up from the Task Force on Special Offences and other agencies.
“The ministry had also explored consultative stakeholders meetings that involved members of the legislative Assembly, one of which was held on December 21, 2023 to find possible solutions,” the statement read partly.
