Many streets in the Omituntun and Sanni Olopa Community Development Associations in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State are said to be prone to flooding as residents claimed the drainage/canal project at the Jimoh Bus stop on Akowonjo-Egbeda Road had been abandoned.
It was gathered that gathered that the drainage at the Jimoh side of the area is where wastewater from many of the streets in the community is channelled.
It was further learnt that the project had been abandoned for about two years.
The residents are, therefore, pleading with the Lagos State Government to come to their aid by ordering the contractor to return to the site and complete the work.
The secretary of the Omituntun CDA, Ismail Idowu, told our correspondent that the drainage project was started sometime in 2021 but at the moment, it had been abandoned and it had led to many streets in the community being flooded.
“Many of the streets in our area are always flooded whenever it rains and this is because the drainage project at Jimoh side of the Egbeda-Akowonjo Road has stopped. This is a project that started in 2022.
“We don’t know what is happening, but we plead with the Lagos State Government to ensure that work resumes in that place so that when it rains, there won’t be a flood on the streets in our community,” he said.
The chairman of Sanni Olopa CDA, Kayode Kassim, described the situation as a disaster waiting to happen.
He said, “What is going on here with the uncompleted project is an eyesore. It is a disaster that is waiting to happen. We, the people of the community, are pleading to the Lagos State Government and most importantly, to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to come to our aid and make sure that this project is completed.
“There is flood water in my house as I speak to you now. On our own at the Sani Olopa CDA, we had tried to do our best on this matter but it is overwhelming financially. We are pleading with the state government to bail us out.”
A resident of the area who resides at Ajani Akingbogun Street, Segun Adedayo, said that because the drainage work had not been completed, whenever it rains, his street, which is close to Alhaji Idowu Street, is always flooded.
Another resident, Saheed Oladapo, also asked that work should resume on the drainage project.
When contacted, the Director, Public Affairs Department of the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Adekunle Adeshina, said, “That axis of Akowonjo-Egbeda project is ongoing. What happened is that the contractor is constructing from Shasha’s side to Jimoh. The CDA members and residents should be patient. The contractor will soon complete the project.”
