The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has stated that the structures on the drainage systems are being removed to avoid repeated flooding in the areas.
NewsNow reported that the state government initiated the removal of non-compliant structures under the System 1 Drainage Channel Midstream (Odo Iya Alaro) Ojota and Ogudu on Monday.
The government conducted the removal operation after multiple contravention notices were issued to property owners, with members of the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance department and security personnel from the Task Force on Special Offences and other agencies coordinating the exercise.
As mentioned in a statement on Tuesday, the ministry hosted consultative meetings with stakeholders, including members of the Legislative Assembly, with one such meeting held on December 21, 2023, to seek viable solutions.
During one of the meetings facilitated by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, and with the presence of Hon. Sanni Okanlawon representing Kosofe I, none of the property owners could furnish proof of ownership for the structures erected on the drainage right of way.
In the absence of legitimate ownership documents, the commissioner emphasized at the meeting that all structures on the System I Right of Way must be removed. It was also revealed that despite receiving contravention notices, some property owners proceeded with construction, displaying a blatant disregard for the law,” the statement noted.
Wahab stressed that, “The enforcement effort aims to tackle the issue of recurrent flooding, which has caused unnecessary damage to properties and even fatalities in some cases.”