March 10, 2024

The Lagos State government says it will begin from Monday the enforcement operations in Apapa to re-establish the three-metre drainage right-of-way for all its drainage channels.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said this in a statement on Sunday.

According to him, the enforcement is coming after the expiration of notices and convening of stakeholders meetings with the property owners earlier in the year to voluntarily move their fences that fell within the drainage setback.

He said the Ministry had served contravention notices to the buildings on the drainge setbacks.

He added that for several years, the ministry had not been able to access the eight major collectors for maintanence purpose due to encroachment which was a major contributor to flooding in the Apapa area.

Wahab said the state government was determined to find a lasting solution to flooding in Apapa.

He directed enforcement officers to ensure that all contravening properties were removed from the drainage right-of-way in accordance with the three metres required by law.

He gave the assurance that the government would not cherrypick properties during the enforcement process.

“We want to check the state of collectors in Apapa in order to evacuate and treat the collectors.

“The whole of the collectors in this area are blocked and the right-of-way taken over by individuals who moved their fences in order to aquire extra land thereby denying us access to the drains,” Tokunbo said.