The Lagos State Government has announced that it will enforce the removal of illegal structures and shanties on the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. They warned that anyone who returns after the ongoing clearance will face prosecution.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared this information on Wednesday during an inspection of the clearance work on the expressway.
A reporter from PUNCH Metro noticed that some wooden structures that were set up on the median had already been taken down. Officials from the state enforcement team were also seen burning the wooden debris, despite the heavy rain.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had ordered the clearance on Saturday and promised to provide all necessary resources for the job. During the inspection, Wahab said they wanted to check how well the government’s orders were being followed.
He stated, “We just need to see the level of compliance and the level of work that has been done based on the directive of the governor.
“We have drawn the mark on the ground. It’s a major highway. Tonnes of taxpayers’ money have been used to put this in place. In the past few years, we’ve been talking to them and moving them back.
“For now, the operation is one and for all to control it. Let the businesses have a setback and make the median free for all road users.”
When asked how the government plans to stop illegal occupants from coming back, Wahab responded, “We will continue to patrol and monitor every day.”
He explained that the wide median is meant for a future rail line and should not be used for anything else. “It’s for the rail line coming this way. That’s why it’s wide and we have to keep it free for them,” he added.
Wahab also spoke about the problem of waste disposal seen during the inspection. He blamed residents and traders for throwing waste on road medians, saying this led to recent flooding in some areas of the state. He urged residents to use private waste operators or contact the Lagos Waste Management Authority when waste collection services are not available.
He said, “Keep our surroundings clean. Let us use the PSP operators. If they are not coming, call LAWMA. Inform LAWMA. Let LAWMA come and take your waste.
“It doesn’t speak well of us for people to take waste from their homes and dump it on the median. It’s a polluter-pays policy, but some people are not even paying.”
Wahab mentioned that the government would keep prosecuting those who break environmental laws. “We have been prosecuting. In the past year, over 1,000 people have been prosecuted. We are not holding back.
“That is what the law provides for. Once there is a law, you must enforce it and attach consequences for bad behaviour,” he stated.
Wahab explained the recent flooding in Lagos as flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall and high sea levels, which stopped stormwater from flowing into the lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.
“Flash flooding is basically when the sea level is up. When it rains heavily, your stormwater cannot discharge into the lagoon or its discharge point. It will hold back for about one or two hours.
“Even after the rain stops, within one or two hours, the water will recede because nature allows it to return to the discharge point. That’s why we call it flash flooding,” he said.
He also noted that the government is working on areas that flood often, blaming some of the issues on illegal land reclamation by families who own land.
“There are one or two areas that have persistent flooding, and we are addressing them. One of them is Ajiran. And it is not because of the government; it is because of irresponsible land-owning families. We are calling them out.
“We are extending the drainage channels to the lagoon. Those are the issues we are addressing,” Wahab added.
Lagos State continues to deal with environmental challenges like flooding, waste disposal, and illegal shanties that affect its status as a megacity. Residents and the government have been blaming each other for these environmental problems. While residents say the government has not done enough, the government blames the issues on the unhealthy habits of the residents.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇