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Nigerian government to assist Lagos overcome flooding problem
Abdul Semiu Babalola
The Nigerian government has expressed its readiness to partner with the Lagos state government in south west Nigeria, towards finding lasting solution to the perennial flooding and coastal erosion that has affected the coastal state following several days of heavy rain.
The leader of the Nigerian government delegation on a visit to the commercial city, the Trade and Investment Minister, Dr Olusegun Aganga gave the assurance shortly after accessing the level of damage caused by the more than sixteen and half hours rain that swept across the former Nigerian capital city, on July 10.
Several people have been rendered homeless by the flood, with millions of properties destroyed and some deaths recorded. The rain has also caused major coastal erosion along the Alpha and Lekki beach area, putting billions of naira property under threat.
“Since it started about two weeks ago, we have been in regular discussions and dialogue with the Governor to fully understand what is going on, what they are doing and how the Federal Government might assist them”, Aganga told journalists at the bank of the Atlantic Ocean during a visit to Alpha beach, one of the area affected by the coastal line erosion.
”Today just gave us the opportunity based on our earlier discussion to come and access the situation. We had met with Governor Babatunde Fashola. We have gone to other parts of Lagos, Agege area and Abeokuta Expressway. We’ve seen the impacts of the flood, now we are in the coastal area, where we have the coastal line erosion.
“The Lagos state Government has put together a comprehensive report of what
need to be done. We will take that with us, we will work together towards resolving the issue as soon as possible,” Aganga said.
Finding lasting solution
The team which was accompanied by the Permanent secretary, Ecology Fund Office in the Presidency, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, Lagos state commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure development, Mr Adesegun Oniru, commissioner for environment, Mr Tunji Bello and some other officials also visited Elere drainage channels in Agege,
Oko-Oba drainage channels, Agege, Aboru Canal at Iyana Ipaja, Arigbanla channel as well as the culvert running underneath the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway at Ijaiye.
Mr. Adesegun Oniru while speaking at the Alpha and Lekki beach urged the Nigerian government to act fast in order to forestall greater danger ahead, pointing out that several meters of land has been lost to the ocean surge.
He noted:”You can’t fight nature, you can only appease it. You can work with nature to stop what is happening. You need to put in place protections that will break the energy of the ocean surge that we see today, which is making this happened.”
“If you don’t do anything here today as we speak, in another two to six months everything you see behind you won’t be there anymore. In two weeks we lost about twenty meters of coastal line, where we are standing today. So we need to do something immediately,” the commissioner observed.
He said the state government had awarded contract for the removal of the wrecked ships on the Lekki beach and called for a refund of the money spent by the state government by the government at the federal level.
Already the effect of the erosion is been felt. Two wreck ships have been swept by the ocean surge on shore at the Lekki beach in Mayegun town. The manager of the beach, Moses Enebeli said the wrecked ships were posing great danger to tourists who visit the beach.
“Because of the surge and the ships we have lost about thirty meters to the ocean. If the ships are not removed, the lives of swimmers will be in danger. The government should help us to remove it”, Enebeli told journalists.
One of the residents of the area, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi commended the efforts of both the Federal Government and Lagos State Government in finding lasting solution to the flood and coastal erosion affecting the state.
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