Ex-chairman urges Lagos Government to relocate people living on water course

Mr John Ekoko, former Chairman of Nigerian Environmental Society, Lagos Island Chapter (NESLIC), on Wednesday advised the Lagos State Government to relocate the residents of the areas around water course.

Ekoko gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to him, the advice becomes necessary, following the Lagos State Government’s flood alert warning those living along Ogun River to move to the higher ground.

“During the rainy season the dam has to be opened, otherwise, the water will overflow the walls and destroy the dam.

“But government should have started passing the message around so that people living in those areas will realise the danger facing them.

“If government want to do it properly, people living in those areas should not be allowed to continue staying there, they are hampering activities to contain flooding there

“Apart from obstructing the water course, it is an illegal accommodation,” he said.

Ekoko said that worldwide, the intensity of flooding this year had surpassed other years, adding that the storm I in Texas, USA, was an eye opener.

According to him, in spite the continued flood warning in Texas, yet when the storm got there it overwhelmed everybody.

Ekoko said that the message should be drawn down to those living in lowlands, to see the danger they were in so that they would look for alternative accommodation.

He said that the state government should build proper infrastructure and waterways with supporting walls to contain the flood water.

Ekoko further said that there were local species of plants and trees which the state government could plant around the watershed to contain flood.

According to him, such plants and trees have ways of holding the soil together, even when flooding is much.

He emphasised the need for the state government to remove shanties in and around the water course, saying that flooding should not be curtailed through fire-brigade approach.