The Labour Party Gubernatorial Candidate for the 2023 Lagos State elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, criticized the current administration’s handling of flooding issues caused by heavy rainfall.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Saturday, Rhodes-Vivour said he has not seen any “forward-thinking visionary intervention” from the government, describing their responses as “mediocre at best.”
Rhodes-Vivour highlighted the recurring flooding problems in Lagos and the administration’s lack of effective action.
He stated, “These same group of people have been in charge of this state for almost 24 years… Now Lagos State is also listed as one of the fastest sinking cities in the world, and it is said that by 2100, most of Lagos State will not be habitable with the current state of things. Every year, we deal with this same thing again and again and again. People are losing possessions, businesses are being completely destroyed by floods.”
He criticized the government for being reactionary rather than proactive, stating, “I have not seen any forward-thinking visionary intervention that this government has done. For the most part, they are reactionary, and even the reaction is mediocre at best.”
Rhodes-Vivour suggested that clearing all canals in Lagos could be done in two days if local governments are empowered and coordinated. He said, “All canals can be cleared in two days. When you work with the local government, you empower that local government, clear all the canals in your district. Every local government should be able to do it in two days.”
When asked about his recommendations to reduce flooding, Rhodes-Vivour emphasized the importance of using climate data and public awareness. He stated, “You have data, climate data that says on these days, you expect significant amount of rainfall… There must be an emergency protocol. So when we have these amounts of rainfall, these are the routes that are going to be taken. The public must be aware of this in dry season, not in rainy season.”
He also proposed using roads as valves to manage water flow and advocated for a wetland protection policy. “We must have a wetland protection policy… Wetlands are nature’s natural sinkholes; they absorb a lot of water. The problem is we’ve had haphazard sandfilling across Lagos State that has limited the amount of water that can be contained and water going back down to the rivers or to the lagoons or to the water bodies.”
Rhodes-Vivour also stressed the need for Lagos to adapt to living with water rather than fighting against it. He said, “Lagos State needs to become a sponge city, must live with the water, not fight with the water.”
