- Adesina relayed that the declaration came from Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab and Special Adviser on the Environment Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu
The Lagos State Government has issued a seven-day contravention notice to building owners along Orchid Road, Agungi, Ajiran, Conservation Road, Osapa, situated along the Ikota River.
This announcement was made via a statement on the director of public affairs, Kunle Adesina’s X platform (formerly Twitter) handle for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State on Monday.
Adesina relayed that the declaration came from Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab and Special Adviser on the Environment Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu following a comprehensive inspection tour of the Ikota River corridor.
The purpose of this inspection was to assess compliance levels among property owners regarding the approved seven-metre setback on both sides of the channel for buildings and fences.
Wahab charged Lagosians to respect the state drainage master plan to avoid property demolition.
He stressed that there was no going back on the decision of the state to enforce the law and reclaim drainage setbacks following the expiration of the notices issued.
The commissioner said the Nigerian Conservation Foundation had earlier written a petition complaining about several distortions, saying that there had been a lot of distortion on their roads.
He stated that the distortion had an impact on the natural habitat of animals in the foundation as well as on Orchid Road, where the drainage channel designed to carry stormwater from the communities into the Lagoon had been severely damaged.
He stated that Lagos State had been humane in its approach to reclaiming the drainage right of way, as evidenced by the reduction of the setback alignment from seven to six metres following a meeting with property owners to reduce the number of structures to be affected.
The statement reads: “We cannot keep lampooning government for flooding when developers, builders and residents are the main cause of flooding.
“We shall continue to enforce because that is why laws are made. Without law and order, there cannot be development, enough of this bad behaviour.”
“The commissioner and his team also visited Oral Estate II along system 156 Igbo Efon, where the primary channel was found to have been totally blocked by illegal structures without drainage approvals.
“The commissioner also went to Agungi, Ajiran, and Osapa, where notices had previously been served, and stated that final decisions would be made after assessing the level of encroachment on primary channel and secondary collector setbacks in the areas.
“He explained that the commissioner noted that the System 156 Ikota River channel setback was originally 46 metres, but that property owners and residents along the corridor reduced it.”