Residents of Iponri Low Cost Housing Estate in Surulere, Lagos Mainland, on Sunday urged Lagos State Government to clear the drainage channels in the estate to address the perennial flooding.
They said the dirty water from canals within the estate had made it difficult for them to gain access to their houses.
Mr Omotayo Ogunlade, the Chairman, Iponri Housing Estate Residents Association, said that non clearance of the canals by the state government in the last four years was responsible for the flooding.
“The drainage channels were already blocked, thus resulting in the flooding of the estate.
“We, residents of the estate, have been in pains for the past three years because water from the canal is harmful to our health.
“When former Gov. Babatunde Fasola was in power, the state government used to send people from the Ministry of Environment to clear the canals, at least, three times in a year.
“This had made our environment relatively clean and healthy. However, nothing had been done on the drainage since Fasola left.
“What we only had was a promise by the immediate past governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, that a fence was to be built round the estate.
“Up till now, nothing has been done apart from the destruction of shops which has made our houses to be vulnerable to armed robbery attacks,” he said.
Ogunlade said that series of letters had been written to the Lagos Building Investment Company Plc. (LBIC) over the challenges being faced by residents of the estate, but to no avail.
“I have been trying to reach LBIC; we have written several letters to them without a single reply.
“They will just come at the end of the month to collect rent and go. If any tenant complains of a problem, they will not show up.
“All these challenges we are having are as a result of negligence on the part of LBIC. They are supposed to be the intermediary between us and the government, but we don’t see them.
“I am appealing to the state government to call LBIC and the residents together to device ways of clearing these canals. It is frustrating.
“Once the canals are free, the water flooding the estate will stop and all other problems will be resolved,” he said.
Also, Alhaja Abibat Adeyanju, a resident of the estate, decried the rate at which dirty water was entering her block, thus preventing her occasionally from entering the building.
“We have constructed a plank on top of the water so that we will not march water as we are going into our appartments.
The blockages of the drainage channels have prevented free flow of water outside the estate, thereby causing hardship for us.
“Rainy season is here and if nothing is done about this blockage, it will result in serious flooding which can sweep all our property away.
“Already, weeds have grown on the water surface due to the uncleared drainage channels.
“Government should assist us in clearing the waterway because we are good citizens paying all our dues as government’s tenants,” she said.
Adeyanju said that if the residents were rendering their our own obligations, the state government should equally not be found wanting in the own responsibilities.
In his comments, Mr Bolaji Oke, another resident of the estate, said that the water coming out of the canals had damaged roads within the estate.
Oke said that the residents could no longer park their cars in front of their respective flats because of the bad roads.
He called for the clearing of the drainage channels and repair of the roads damaged by the flood.
