May 6, 2024

The Lagos State Government has said that property owners whose structures hindered the flow of drainage in Mende in the Maryland area of the state were served “requisite notices” before their buildings were removed from the System 1 Drainage Right of Way.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, Tokunbo Wahab, made this known on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

According to him, the structures were removed “to avoid the flooding of the whole of the Mainland”.

It has not been the best of times for some residents of Mende as the state government, last week, pulled down their buildings or part of their structures said to be obstructing the System 1 Drainage Right of Way.

Some of the residents, now homeless, unfortunately, flayed the government for not giving them proper notices but the commissioner said the drainage right of way was set aside since 1974 and the residents were duly engaged before the demolitions were carried out.

“They claimed they were not served notices, they were served. They had come for meetings severally. The residents’ association had met with the Permanent Secretary, Engr Mahmood Adekunle Adegbite severally in my office. So, on what basis were they having meetings if they were not served?” Wahab queried.

“The first notices were served on them in 2021. Each of the property owners on Systems 1 were duly written that they should remove their encumbrances because they were sitting on Systems 1. That led to engagements with my predecessor in office, Mr Tunji Bello.”

He said on assumption of office last year, his administration wrote the residents because “these properties were sitting on Systems 1 Right of Way, that is Odo Iya Alaro Right of Way”.

Wahab said the owners of the affected buildings were served personally and their properties were marked subsequently. “We didn’t just go there, we also engaged them,” the commissioner stated, arguing that the state environmental laws allow the removal of buildings seen as encumbrances on drainage channels.

He said the Odo Iya Alaro Drainage Channel is important to the flow of erosion in the state.

Wahab further stated that some decisions are very painful but tough decisions must be taken to govern well. He was, however, mute about possible compensation for owners of the affected buildings.