SANWO-OLU INSPECTS FLOODED COMMUNITIES, PROMISES INTERVENTION

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, waded through floodwaters in Awoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki Local Council, as he led a high-powered government delegation on an inspection tour of flood-prone communities affected by recent heavy rainfall across the Lekki corridor, pledging that government would take action to prevent a future incident.

The governor, accompanied by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, commissioners and other cabinet members, visited Awoyaya, Ogombo, Sangotedo and the Chevron axis of Lekki and Ajah to assess the impact of flooding and evaluate the effectiveness of drainage channels and waterways in the area.

Sanwo-Olu said the tour was aimed at obtaining first-hand information on the flooding situation and identifying immediate and long-term solutions.

He said the inspection revealed that many of the drainage channels and tributaries in the area remained functional, but the unprecedented volume of rainfall recorded over the past few weeks had overwhelmed parts of the system, resulting in flooding in some communities.

According to him, several natural waterways and tributaries around the Lekki corridor continue to discharge into the Lagos Lagoon, and later, the Atlantic Ocean, but the intensity of the rainfall had significantly increased water levels.

He said that the state government would continue dredging, clearing and expanding drainage infrastructure to ensure free flow of water, particularly in rapidly developing areas of the state.

Sanwo-Olu assured residents whose homes and property had been affected by flooding that the government was assessing the extent of the damage and would provide relief where necessary.

He said that some relief centres had already been activated for affected residents and promised continued support for vulnerable communities.

The governor, however, warned that the rainy season was still ongoing and advised residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to relocate temporarily to safer locations whenever necessary.

However, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has issued a flood advisory, warning that 14 states may experience a medium flood risk between July 14 and July 20.

Director-General of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, yesterday, said that the advisory was based on the agency’s latest hydrological forecast, which projected localised flooding along major river channels and identified 16 monitoring stations as high-risk locations.

The affected states, according to him, include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau.