Communities lament as flood submerges vehicles, renders road impassable

Etim Ekpimah

Residents of Holy Ghosts, Banana, God’stime, and Satellite estates within the Igbe-Laara area of Igbogbo in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, have cried out to both the local and state governments to come to their aids over the unabated flooding of the areas.

Some residents said whenever there is rain, whether light or heavy, the areas’ only access road will be flooded with no possibility for them to commune to their workplaces or schools for children.

A landlord in the Banana Phase One Estate, Mr Lawrence Okonta, said he was going to church on Sunday morning when the flood water dragged his vehicle (Sienna) to the area where the vehicle was submerged by the flood.

It was observed that flood water covered the vehicle from the window levels down to the bonnet, which was submerged in the water.

A resident and civil servant, Mrs Kapo said the communities have made several representations to Ikorodu LGA and they have not received any positive answers from them.

She said: “We are expecting the government to come and help us here. I pay my tax, I’m a civil servant. In fact, because of this road, I cannot meet up with the staff bus again. Instead of joining the staff bus as a civil servant despite the fact that I’m paying N16,000 as tax monthly, I’m suffering a lot in this place. You can see the road, you can see the water, and how everywhere is being messed up.

“I work at the secretariat, Alaus, Ikeja. I spend nothing less than N2,500 to get to work and the same amount to get back home, totalling N5,000 a day, all for transportation. The alternative that the government provides for us, I can not make use of it because of this road. As the rain is falling, bikes cannot access not the road. I cannot join buses as they are not available here. So, I’m expecting the government to help us; we have tried our best as CDA here. We have contributed and have done so many things.

A businessman and resident of the area, Uche Francis, said flooding is commonplace in the vicinity. He added that whenever there is rain, the area will be flooded and the road will become impassable.

He noted: “Every time there is rain, there must be flood here. Today’s flooding is even less severe as it involves only one vehicle. Other times, there are always a series of vehicles that will be completely covered by the flood water.

“Our CDA has been trying in their own way, but it is the government that can do a major thing to curtail the flooding,” he said.

Mrs Folorunso Odunuga, aka, JO, a civil servant and resident of the area, said the flood has for years, locked her family out from accessing other parts of the state.

She noted that she usually stays in her relative place or rents a hotel in Ikeja or other areas close to her office to avoid unnecessary absenteeism and lateness at work.

“I am a civil servant and resident of this area. My children, husband, in fact, every one of us cannot go out. We pay out taxes (PAYE), and tenement rates (that is Land Use Charge), yet, we don’t feel the impact of government here.

“Though this place is the inner city, still we have local government chairman and state government. Look at that vehicle, our children may not be able to go out for a week now from this place. We have been trying, we have erected something there for passersby.

“Vehicles cannot go out when we have vehicles to go to work. We need to park vehicles somewhere and hop on motorbikes (okada). Right now, motorbikes cannot go through this place. It means for the next one week, we have to stay outside this place: this means we have to rent a hotel room, or stay with our relatives out there and leave our children and husbands behind because there is no road for us to come in or go out.

“We are appealing to local and state governments to come to our rescue. I want them to come and see what is happening here. The government is expecting us to pay all the taxes; we are willing to pay them inasmuch as they come to give us the amenities required from the government, and we are willing to cooperate with them,” Odunuga said.

Chairman of Godstime Estate, Mr Seyi Martins, said they have to look for a solution to channel the water to Ijede Lagoon so that the areas can have peace.

According to him, the project is beyond the communities. He added that the entire area needs the intervention of the state government to remedy the situation.

Mr Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, could not be reached for commence as calls to his telephone rang out. He did not answer the SMS sent to his telephone.