As rain wrecks havoc in Lagos, even the dead are not spared

The dead are generally believed to have gone to rest and should not be troubled by challenges of life or natural phenomenon. But the torrential rain falls in the last couple of weeks that caused flooding in some parts of the state that claimed lives and damaged property would not hear any of that.

On Tuesday July 11, the peace of the dead waiting for their final journey to mother earth in a private mortuary, Toluwalase Hospital Morgue, located at Otunba Oladokun Street, in Igando area of Lagos State was disrupted when massive flood forcefully took over the premises, forcing the management of the facility to eject the corpses in its care.

Manager of the facility, Mr Bolaji Oluwafemi, informed that the area is flood prone and always quick to transform into a lake anytime it rained. He added that the Lagos State Government had ignored repeated complaints from the hospital management and other residents in the area.

A resident of Osopa London who spoke in confidence, blamed the flooding on failure of government to take a pro-active measure to address the problem. The resident whose house was completely taken over by the flood said he lost vital documents and other household items estimated to the tune of millions of naira.

Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria is generally seen as the centre of excellence and the pride of Africa. Currently, the state is being touted as the emerging merger city with every facility being put in place. However, the recent flooding orchestrated by torrential rains indicates that the government has more work to do.

Areas worse hit include Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikoyi, Iyana-Ejigbo, NNPC Junction, Ejigbo, Lawanson, Surulere, Isolo Road Junction, Mushin and at the foot of the Iganmu Interchange, on the Lagos/Badagry expressway.

Experts say this situation may not be unconnected with its low-lying position as well as its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean making it sink slowly below sea level, combined with risks from climate change and poor drainage systems.

According to reports, the torrential rain falls witnessed in the State in the past few days accumulated a total of 477mm of water equivalent to the rainfalls experienced in other climes for six months.

The government, as usual, has blamed the floods on residents’ poor waste disposal habits, noting that most Lagos streets are littered with waste which end up blocking street gutters and causing them to overflow.

City watchers however blame the flooding on poor city planning, a responsibility which rests squarely on the shoulders of the government.

Interestingly, the State Government recently ordered owners of properties erected on drainage channels impeding the free-flow of water to immediately vacate or risk being removed.

The Government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, expressed dismay that the lawless activities of some people was constantly putting the lives and property of residents at risk.

He listed some of the areas where properties were erected on drainage channels to include Illubirin, Dolphin Estate, Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Osapa London, Ikota, Ogombo, Lekki, among others, noting that the massive investment of public fund into drainage clearing and de-silting had been compromised by structures hindering the free-flow of water.

The Commissioner said State Government was seriously concerned that man-made causes, particularly impediment of free-flow of storm water through indiscriminate erection of buildings on drainage alignments/ right of way and water courses, have played major role in the recent experience of flooding in the State.

“Therefore, it is now of paramount importance that owners of buildings or structures impeding the free-flow of storm water, wherever they exist in the State, are advised to voluntarily quit forthwith in the overriding public interest or risk being removed by the State Government as no responsible government will allow the interest of a few to jeopardise the wellness and wellbeing of the generality of its people.

“In view of the grievous consequences of compromising drainage right of way and alignment, Lagosians are hereby warned to henceforth refrain from this illegal act, report perpetrators and cooperate with the Lagos State Government in its bid to achieve a flood-free, clean and livable State,” Adejare said.

The Commissioner also disclosed that the State Government has resolved to reestablish the right of way of drainage infrastructure across the State also to stem the tide of flooding.

He said the decision became necessary to enhance the ability of the drainage channels to effectively discharge storm water into the rivers, lagoon and other water bodies and relieve Lagosians of the incidence of flood.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Lagosians are once again reminded that the right of way for primary unlined (without concrete) channel is 25 meters and 15 meters for primary lined (with concrete) channel, while the right of way for secondary/connector channel is seven meters. The right of way for tertiary channel is three meters from the fence of the house.

“Primary channels such as canals are those emptying directly into the river, lagoons and other water bodies, while secondary/connector channels connect water from channels in the frontage of the house (tertiary channels) to the primary channel,” the Commissioner said.

State Governor, Mr Akiwunmi Ambode, who spoke at a sensitisation workshop on water management and environmental control held in the state – a prelude to a Water Technology and Environmental Control (WATEC) exhibition holding in Israel later in the year, noted that beside the fact that the issue of flooding was not peculiar to the State or Nigeria as it was a global phenomenon, but that urgent steps are being taken to tackle the challenge in a holistic manner and protect the State from future re-occurrence.

The Governor, who empathised with people who lost properties to the flood, said that it was painful to see most prime estates flooded with water, roads taken over by floods, while many homesteads literally became pools.

Describing the workshop as apt coming at a time the State witnessed flooding in some parts, Governor Ambode said in as much as the development was a trying period for him, considering the fact that so much had been expended in providing infrastructure for the people, but that major strategies would be implemented with the view to bequeathing the State with enduring solution to water management and environmental control.

“However, if we have learnt anything in the on-going flooding of some parts of the State, it is that there is an immediate, even urgent need for us to embark upon a review and re-engineering of our canals and drainage systems.

“This must be pursued hand-in-hand with a clear and crystal re-envisioning of our water management system. So, in effect, what we should immediately pursue is a holistic solution to what is certain to be a recurring problem. It must be a sincere collaboration between government and the citizenry,” Governor Ambode said.

Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Guy Feldman in his response, said his country was delighted to partner with the Lagos State Government to bring about lasting solutions to water management and environmental control.

Successive administrations in the state made similar promises but accomplished little which is the reason for flooding till date. Will Ambode’s administration be different from those of his predecessors? The next two years will answer this question.