In an effort to reclaim a crucial drainage route, the System 1 Drainage route midstream in Ojota and Ogudu, the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has launched an enforcement campaign.
The commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab, revealed this on Monday in a post made on his official X account.
According to him, an examination on Sunday found that property owners were erecting new buildings inside the approved areas.
Ifako, Gbagada, Maryland, Ogudu, Ojota, Ifako, and other important portions of the Lagos mainland have been less affected by flooding thanks to System 1, which was created in 1974, according to Wahab.
In November 2023, the state’s dialogue with citizens and property owners came to an end, he continued.
We discovered that, despite the fact that owners of buildings located 140 meters or less from System 1 have been handed violation notifications since 2021, people are still intruding on rights of way and alignments.
For nearly three years, building owners whose properties are inside the channel’s authorized 140-meter right-of-way have had the choice to comply voluntarily.
“A few of the landowners persisted in erecting new buildings that are now visible in the areas.”
Wahab further said that substantial maintenance dredging at Okota’s Faseun Bridge System 6E, which is off Ago Palace Way, is scheduled to begin by the Ministry.
The purpose of this dredging is to enhance water flow and eliminate debris that builds up beneath the bridge and causes flooding.
According to information obtained by RAWLOADED, the Lagos State Government started dredging in the Ikorodu region, focusing on the main canal in Awobo Estate, in response to flooding risks.
Ensuring the safety of the local population and averting any tragedies were the main goals of the program.
