Sanwo-Olu’s wife urges patience over delay in refuse evacuation in state

Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the Lagos State government over what it described as prolonged neglect and alleged failure to address the deteriorating conditions of Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Anikantamo Jakande Estate on Lagos Island.

The party, in a statement yesterday signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dr Christopher Odianarewo, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of failing to adequately protect residents and property owners in the estates despite what it described as more than a decade of complaints over infrastructure and flooding.

The PDP alleged that the estates, which were once regarded as a model of urban housing, had deteriorated significantly, leaving residents exposed to flooding and what it described as structural risks.

According to the party, the situation had gone beyond ordinary infrastructure challenges, alleging that some buildings in the estates had been severely affected by prolonged exposure to water and structural decay.

The opposition party, which also alleged that the drainage channel intended to discharge floodwater from Phases 1 to 4 into the lagoon had been blocked, said that the blockage, which it attributed to activities connected with road construction, had worsened flooding in the estates, leaving homes inundated and threatening the structural integrity of buildings.

It, however, called for a transparent and time-bound action plan on the proposed relocation sites, urging the government to provide concrete details on the status of the project and measures being taken to assist displaced or distressed residents.

MEANWHILE, the wife of the governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to residents to be patient over delays in refuse evacuation across the state, assuring that the government is working on a new waste management strategy.

Sanwo-Olu appealed at the weekend during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise monitored in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi-Isolo Local Council.

The governor’s wife, while responding to complaints about delays by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators in evacuating waste and a hike in collection charges, said that the operators were also facing operational challenges at dumpsites.

She, therefore, urged residents to bear with the government, describing the situation as a teething problem.

However, Lagos State Head of Service, Olabode Agoro, who led the monitoring of the environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos Mainland Local Council, said the essence of the monitoring was to continue encouraging people to come out.

In his remarks, Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said public participation in the monthly sanitation had increased significantly compared to when it started.