Igando residents cry out over flooding

By OKUNADE ADEKUNLE

Rain is supposed to be a blessing with all of its advantages. But in Igando New Model Phase 3 in Oko Filling area of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State whenever it threatens to rain residents are always enveloped with fear. This is because flooding with its attendant effects will cause damage to property and homes, limit movement of residents and in some cases cause death.
Mr James Agboola, a resident who took Hallmark Metro round the impacted area, lamented that since almost 15 years that he has been residing in the area, they have always suffered from flooding each time it rained, stressing that his house is always subsumed by flood, which most often than not kills some of his chickens.
Agboola, who operates a poultry farm, stated that residents of the area have been engaging in community and individual efforts to fight the menace by constructing drainages in the five affected streets in the estate. He added further that some of the companies around the estate were as well engaged in series of ways to tackle the flood.
“This estate has been suffering from flood for about 15 years now. We have tried several means to put it to an end but it continues to spread day in day out. We constructed drainages trying to divert it to the main drainage on the Iyana-Iba-Isheri Road but still it fights back by settling in front of our houses. As you can see, my family and I cannot enter the house, we have to look for pumping machine to pump out water from the house”, said Agboola
He stressed further that Rosella Resort Centre in the area and other companies in the estate have done one thing or the other to control the flooding all to no avail.
“If you go to Rosella now, you will see that their swimming pool have been destroyed by the flood. Nobody is patronizing the place because of the flood. The truth is that the flood has affected businesses in the estate”, said Agboola
He, however, urged government to quickly intervene by constructing standard drainage that would channel water to Odo-Eran drainage.
“I want Lagos State government to come to our aid by constructing standard drainage system that would channel the flood to Odo-Eran drainage so that water will move into the drainage at Lanre bus-stop in Igando”, urged Agboola
A landlady in the estate, who is a civil servant, Mrs Olatokunbo Ogunmeru, disclosed that the flood could have been diverted if not for the private mortuary built at the end of Ogunmeru Street. She added that the owner of the mortuary did not listen to residents of the estate on why he should not construct perimeter fencing blocking the free flow of water when it rains.
Ogunmeru stated that the residents of the estate had severally reported the owner of the mortuary to the state government but that nothing has been done.
“All what we want from government is to help us and they should safe us from the private mortuary owner who built fence to block the flow of the flood. Our house and cars have been consumed by the flood and this mortuary man does not care about how we are feeling concerning the flood, we want government to intervene”, said Ogunmeru
The affected streets in the estate are Ogunmeru, Odubanjo, Otunba Oladokun, and Ovwigho Yoma Avenue.