‘We have nowhere to sleep…’

Flood wreaks havoc in Akowonjo area of Lagos, sacks residents

Residents of Akowonjo in Alimosho Local Council of Lagos State are still counting their losses after Friday’s downpour. Although no life was lost, property worth millions of naira were destroyed in the flood.

When The Guardian visited the areas, some of the residents were seen draining water out of their houses with the use of pumping machines. Others used buckets as they expressed their grievances over their plight.

The areas mostly hit were Jimoh Akinremi Street, Benesther Street, Lambe Kudasi Street, Alhaji Idowu Street, Kwara Street, Animashaun Street, among others.

The residents decried government’s inability to construct drainage system that would channel water from the area, which they said was the major cause of the flood.

Mr. Emmanuel Efosa, who lives at Benesther Street, while moaning his losses, said the water had damaged all his property.“My room is filled with water and all my belongings have been destroyed. There is also water in my co-tenant’s apartment. This is so terrible. Anytime it rains, our property are destroyed and right now, we have no place to sleep,” he said.

Also, Mr. Ayodele Olusanya, a resident of Jimoh Akinremi Street, whose flat was affected, said the damage caused by the rain was unquantifiable.

Shop owners in the area were not left out, as they also grieved over the loss of their electrical appliances. Mrs. Janet Majekodunmi, who sells foodstuff, said her bags of rice, garri, Macaroni and refrigerators were destroyed.

A youth leader, Balogun Olaide, said the area had been facing flood threat for many years, adding that several complaints had been made to the state government, which has yielded no success.

Another youth leader, Mr. Kolade Shobowale, said though the area was flood-prone zone, it didn’t get to the extent of entering into their houses, noting that it began after the construction of some roads in the area, which blocked the passage of water in other streets.

Similarly, a university lecturer who identified himself simply as Dr. Oloruntola, blamed the flood on the newly commissioned roads by the state government, which he said blocked all the water exit in the area.

He said: “When the state government constructed Alhaji Idowu Street, it did not take drainage into consideration”. A community leader, Mr. Jimoh Akinremi, disclosed that letters of complaint had been sent to the state government to help alleviate the problem of flood in the area, but the government had turned deaf ears to them.

“We have been complaining, crying for help and have written to the state government, but to no avail. Flood has brought untold hardship on residents”, he stressed.

Another community leader, Mr. Ezekiel Durotoye, said: “We went to Alausa Secretariat, Alimosho Local Council, Ministry of the Environment and Works to complain. The Commissioner for the Environment and the Commissioner of Works visited this area for inspection. They assured us that they would demolish some structures to allow the passage of water. Up till now, we have not seen any change.”

Meanwhile, Alhaji Idowu Street, which is among the roads commissioned by the state government, was also flooded.Residents have, however, urged the state government to intervene by constructing a standard drainage that would channel water from the area to the canal at Shasha.