A Lagos community, Teledalase, located in Maidan Orile, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council of the state, has lamented two years of being cut off from the city without hope of reconnection.
According to residents, the big canal, which passes through the community, needs to be dredged to ensure free flow of water when it rains.
The community members said the Maidan footbridge, used by residents to cross to the other side of the council, collapsed two years ago.
The residents also claimed they experienced different environmental challenges during the period and had written and consulted some government representatives.
They said the situation is worse because their children cannot go to school during the rainy season, for fear of being drowned in the canal. They also revealed that many had become homeless due to flooding.
It was observed that due to the collapse of the footbridge, residents had to pay to be taken by canoe, whenever they needed to go to school, hospital or market in the city.
Community leaders and residents said they had been appealing to the government to come to their aid and fix the bridge.
The chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC) in Araromi community of the area, Mr Alepro Ehijapor, lamented
that the stress of commuting from the area was stressful.
“We have been abandoned by the government, and that’s why we are appealing for quick resolution before the situation becomes worse,” he said.
He added that it was an enormous risk to transport pupils by canoe to school daily, and appealed to the government to help.
Ehijapor urged the government to build a big embankment to prevent flood from overflowing its banks into the community.
Former Community Development Council (CDC) chairman of Araromi Weigh Bridge in the community, Mr Adebayo Kareem, also said the environmental challenges were beyond the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and CDC.
“It’s beyond our capacity. The collapsed bridge and flooding are major challenges that are threatening the existence of the community.
“These problems have rendered many homeless because when there is rainfall, many residents leave their houses and seek shelter elsewhere.
“The bridge, which is the major entrance to the community, has collapsed since 2022 without repair. This is what we do to get to our places of work. This puts our lives at risk on a daily basis,” he said.
