LASG to begin removing illegal stalls, shanties on Lagos Island drainage Tuesday

The Lagos State government on Sunday announced that the full enforcement of the removal of stalls and shanties under Apongbon Bridge and on the setback of the Savage/Elegbata/Bombata drainage channel on Lagos Island will commence on Tuesday, following the expiration of the 48-hour quit notice issued to stall owners and traders last week.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this known while speaking with newsmen at Ebute Ero after an inspection tour of the Savage/Elegbata/Bombata drainage channel around the Olowogbowo/Apongbon axis on Lagos Island.

He said the government would remove all the shanties impeding the drainage channel in the best interest of all residents.

The commissioner explained that state officials repeated the tour to ascertain the level of compliance by stall owners and traders operating on drainage channels and setbacks with the quit notice issued to them.

He recalled that during an inspection tour last week, it was observed that the setback of these two critical drainage collectors, Bombata/Olusi and the Alagbafo collector, had been converted into shops and stalls, thereby causing the total blockage of the collectors.

“We came to ascertain the level of compliance with respect to the abatement notices served on Thursday to ensure that, statutorily, we have fulfilled what is required according to the law, and this will be followed by enforcement activities on Tuesday,” he said.

He said that the enforcement activities would include the removal of any extension that impedes public infrastructure within the drainage channels, emphasizing that any building not erected on drainage alignments would not be touched.

He stressed that the government had observed that most people are recalcitrant when it comes to obeying laws, and as such, stall owners and traders who may be nursing plans to return to the cleared setbacks will not be allowed because LASPARK would take over the space immediately for sustenance and beautification.

The commissioner also frowned at the habit of many contractors who were in the habit of dumping building materials on the constructed drains, thereby disrupting the free flow of stormwater.

“People dump building materials on the road and drainage channels; their mixers and cement are also on the road, and in the process, they destroy infrastructure. These same people accuse the government of not doing the right thing,” he said.

Wahab stated he had instructed that all buildings under construction and dumping materials on the road at Oke-Arin, Abibu-Oki, and around Ebute Ero market be sealed, with the materials being carted away before they would be reopened.

He said the state government would continue to appeal to the people and step up its advocacy campaigns, “but for those who are recalcitrant, they will continue to face the law in order to serve as an example to others.”

According to him, the ministry will not only engage in the advocacy approach but would also adequately use enforcement and deal with offenders according to the environmental laws of the state.

“We will use the carrot and stick approach, appealing to people to align with our reasoning. We know that some people will be recalcitrant, and these ones will be made examples for others to learn from,” he added.

The commissioner mentioned that the government cannot detect all infractions at the same time but will rely on the people to serve as whistleblowers, adding that government agencies should endeavor to do the right thing whenever any infraction is reported.

“People must learn to protect the environment and remember that the government will not fold its arms and watch the environment destroyed; the wheels of judgment may be slow, but they will definitely grind to a halt one day,” he said.