Lagos Govt, Property Owners Seek Demolition Alternatives Over Drainage Setbacks In Lekki, Others

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Lagos State Government, on Thursday, continued its dialogue with property owners on drainage setbacks by meeting those on the corridor of Lekki County, Ikota GRA, Megamunds Estate, Ajiran, Agungi, Orchid, Oral II and environs.

The State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, met the property owners and residents alongside the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Environment, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu.

The meeting signaled that the Lagos government is yielding to the property owners’ plea to be given time to come up with workable options that will reestablish the setbacks without demolitions.

Wahab said the state is committed to re-establishing the drainage setbacks which have now been blocked by some residents or converted to access roads.

“The State Government would be humane in its approach to reclaim the drainage right of way and we will allow property owners and residents to proffer a solution to the reclaiming of the setback till a particular date to reduce the number of structures that would be affected,” the commissioner stated.

He explained to the representatives from Megamunds Estate that System 44A which cut through Ikota GRA and Megamunds is a 19.5 metres (width) channel but has been blocked by Ikota GRA and Lekki County property owners and residents.

Wahab said the government is determined to find a realistic solution to the flooding in the areas and as a result of this, the 31 metres drainage alignment would be reestablished and six six-metre setbacks on both sides would be recovered.

He said all property owners whose fences fell within the drainage setback will be served mandatory contravention notices as the law demands while enforcement will be the last option.

The environment commissioner told the stakeholders from the Ajiran and Agungi drainage channel that the government is committed to re-establishing the drainage setback which has now been converted to an access road to residents’ homes.

Maintaining that the conversion had made it difficult to access the canal for purposes of cleaning because it had been converted to private use, he emphasised that the government and stakeholders along the Ajiran/Agungi Channel would have to initiate an agreement on how the property would take ownership of the drainage channel and see to the maintenance of the channel permanently.

Wahab informed them that the officials of the Ministry would serve letters to affected buildings next week to let them know when the agreement would be signed.

Earlier, in a meeting with property owners on Orchid and Oral II estate on the corridor of System 156 and 157 Channel along Ikota River, the Commissioner affirmed that both channels have been blocked by illegal structures without drainage approvals.

Wahab noted that property owners whose buildings and fences fall within the approved seven metres setback on both sides of the channel had earlier been served 7-Day Contravention Notices which had expired.

The affected property owners pleaded with the Commissioner to temper justice with mercy and grant the residents the opportunity to come up with possible solutions to salvage the situation.

The attempt to find alternatives to demolition comes weeks and months after the Lagos government had demolished several buildings in various parts of the state for being on drainage setbacks.

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