Heavy torrential rains that lasted hours in the Lagos metropolis yesterday coupled?? with the overflow of Ogun River appeared to have aggravated the flooding situation in the state.
Despite the restriction of movement in the state to give room for a hitch-free conduct of local government elections, motorists agonised in the traffic for a long time on some major roads in the metropolis.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY learnt from residents in the Ajegunle area of the ever-busy Ikorodu Road that? that their apartments had been submerged in flood for the past three days.
The resident who lamented their plight at various spots monitored by LEADERSHIP SUNDAY charged the governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to pressurize the federal government to intervene in their case, if the problem is beyond that which the state government can solve.
Areas such as Awolowo Road, Ikeja; Mobil Filling Station, Ogba; Odejobi Street, off Iju Road in Agege;? Badia areas of Apapa-Iganmu area, Orile-Agege area, and Iyana-Ipaja end of Abeokuta-Lagos were highly flooded.
Not left out are the highbrow areas like Ikoyi? and Victorial Island where major streets and premises were submerged in the floods.
?The rain which, began around 3pm, affected the collation of election results in most of the local government and local council development areas. ?
Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has warned residents in flood-prone areas, particularly around the Ogun River axis of the state to relocate. The state commissioner for environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the development was necessary due to the heavy rainfall in some south-western state in the last few weeks.
He listed the affected areas to include residents of Mile 12, Agiliti, Isheri North, Owode-Onirin, Ikorodu, Majidun, Ajegunle and Agiliti. He enjoined the affected victims within these areas to relocate in order to avoid imminent disaster.
Bello informed that recent report suggest that the Ogun River has risen by 4 meters due to the recent heavy rainfall recorded upstream western part of Ogun State as well as Lagos State.
? According to him, “the implication of the rise in the water level within the river is that residents living in Mile 12, Ajegunle, Agiliti, Ikorodu, Majidun, Owode, Isheri North etc are likely to witness flooding.
The commissioner further stated that although it has not reached a crisis level yet, but as a proactive and responsible government, the Ministry of the Environment is duty-bound to inform members of the public about the environment, especially at this time when the world is experiencing serious global warming as a result of climate change.? ?
He assured Lagosians of the continuous monitoring of the river level by officials of the state government, stressing that it will continue to issue necessary warning/alert to the members of the public as the need arises.
He urged residents not to panic but rather be vigilant and be on the alert , as the state government would continue to monitor the situation and members of the public would be adequately informed about further developments.