Lagos Assembly Urges Ambode To Rejuvenate Office Of Drainage Service

Houses and road inundated by water along Aboru road on Monday morning. 

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday called on Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to rejuvenate the Office of Drainage Service in the state in order to checkmate potential flood hazard. 

The House, in a resolution, said the evacuation of major canals across the state should be intensified to prevent flooding.

The lawmakers also called on the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, to clear illegal structures built on setbacks of canals across the state.

The Assembly equally called on the Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas to inculcate in people the habit of monthly clearing of secondary drainage channels across the state.

These resolutions followed a motion moved by Mr Rasheed Makinde (APC- Ifako Ijaiye II) on the floor of the House under Matter of Urgent Public Importance during plenary session.

Makinde raised the motion following a recent rainfall in the state which according to him, claimed the life of one person in his constituency while some people lost their properties.

The lawmaker said that the incident was caused by flooding after the rain.

Makinde said that there was a need to desilt all drainage systems in the state as well as the need to clamp down on people engaging in indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

In his contribution, Mr Rotimi Olowo, the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government, said the Ministry of the Environment should be called upon to explain what it had been able to achieve.

“People need to be cautioned to stop dumping of dirt in the drainage,” Olowo, representing Somolu Constituency I said.

In his opinion, Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, the Chairman, House Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, said that clearing of drains was the responsibility of Public Works Corporation, saying a contractor had been saddled with the work.

Mr Abiodun Tobun, the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, lamented that issue on drainage clearing had been severally raised without action from the appropriate agency. 

Contributing, Mr Bisi Yusuff, representing Alimosho Constituency I, said indiscriminate erection of building near a water bank was prevalent in the state, and the situation must be urgently addressed to avert further disaster.