The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has given a 48-hour eviction notice to owners of buildings on the drainage alignment System 63B in Sangotedo.
This is to allow the government to reclaim the drainage setbacks and prevent flooding in the area.
The notice was announced on Sunday by the State Commissioner for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on X.com (formerly Twitter).
In his statement, Wahab detailed the ministry’s ongoing efforts to control flooding in the state through extensive inspections. “Earlier today, I led the management team of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources on an extensive inspection tour of enforcement projects in Isolo, Ago Palace Way, Lekki, Ikoyi, and other areas prone to flood and where there are drainage contraventions,” Wahab said.
Wahab reiterated the commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to making Lagos flood-free. He stated, “We gave an additional 48hrs vacation notice to owners of buildings on drainage alignment at System 63B – Sangotedo to allow the government to reclaim the drainage setbacks.”
The inspection revealed that human activities are a major cause of flooding. “We also went around the State to ascertain the state of some drainage channels with hindsight that most flooding issues are majorly caused by negative human activity,” Wahab added.
Wahab was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji, and the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services, Engr Mahamood Adegbite. They visited several areas, including Ikosi-Ketu, where individuals had tampered with drainage infrastructure, leading to its collapse.
The team also visited Victory Estate collector on Ago Palace Way to check compliance with enforcement efforts. Wahab noted, “Some unscrupulous individuals blocked water paths and canals and engaged in illegal sandfilling and selling.”
At Sangotedo near Lagos Business School, a natural stream was blocked by illegal structures. A 48-hour contravention notice was issued to building owners in the channel. The team also assessed dredging progress at Ajiran Primary Channel on Chevron Drive and observed encroachment on the Ilabere Collector in old Ikoyi.
Wahab emphasized the interconnectedness of environmental issues, climate change, and public health, saying, “Climate change is real and there is a cholera outbreak. We must know that all these things are interwoven; we must all be responsible and responsive as a people. We cannot continue to brazenly abuse the environment and expect that there will be no consequences.”
