Flooding: Communities begin rehabilitation of Igbe-Laara Road

Etim Ekpimah

Igbe-Laara communities within the Igbogbo Council Development Area of Lagos State have started rehabilitation of a 3.2km Igbe-Laara to Ginti Road to prevent further incursion of flood water into the area.

It was learnt that whenever it rained, the entire area would be flooded, preventing motorbikes and other vehicles from accessing the area.

It was gathered that residents were not able to drive their vehicles to their houses as flood water not only covered the road but also on their streets. Some were said to have abandoned their homes during the periods.

The Chairman of the Joint Igbe Projects that oversees the construction work, Mr Isaac Faniyi, told our correspondent on Tuesday that as a registered Community Development Association (CDA), they have taken it upon themselves to rehabilitate the road.

According to him, the community can no longer wait to see people fleeing the area, especially during the rainy season. He added that businesses had been shut and schools had gone into recess as the only access road was impassable.

It was learnt that last year, All People Congress, APC, campaign SUV was covered by water when accessing Igbe Laara to Ginti road. The vehicle was only able to be pulled out after the rain had for some weeks.

Faniyi said: “We are here for what we had been registered or approved to do. Our work is for community development, which is the basic reason we were formed. This is a joint Igbe CDA, to be precise and we are licensed by the Lagos State Government to do community work. So, this is a developmental project, which has to do with fixing our roads.

“Last year, this road was an eyesore, albeit, a nightmare. There were pains, and agony everywhere. Residents were crying everywhere, they could not access their residences, petty are major traders were unable to sell: and economic activity was paralysed.

“Students had difficulty going to schools. And when it rained residents could not get motorbikes (okada) as the flood had water-covered roads and streets.

“Tricycles (Keke Marwa) had already left the area; so, it was a sad situation.”

Faniyi added: “We don’t want to experience the same nightmare that we had last year; we have to make haste while the sun shines. That’s why we (different CDAs) have come together to fix the almost 3.2 km road.”

Former chairman of Banana CDA, Mr Sunday Oyarebu, said the areas most prone to flooding are Uncle Bayus and Yukateco. He added that these among other reasons are why the community is constructing gutters deep enough to hold flood water.

It was observed that Lagos State Waste Management (Dumping Ground) is located in the area, which attracts heavy-duty trucks into the vicinity.