The Lagos State Government has issued a 14-day removal notice to owners of buildings and structures built on drainage channels in the Sangotedo area of Lekki and the Okota and Isolo areas of the state.
Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this announcement after an inspection tour of various contravention sites and ongoing drainage enforcement projects in Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Sangotedo, Lekki, and Ikoyi areas of the state.
Wahab stated that the state government is determined to restore sanity in the state and that the era of environmental indiscipline and nuisance is over in Lagos. He emphasized that the government will enforce all relevant laws regardless of whose interests are affected.
The Commissioner acknowledged Lagos' unique challenges as a coastal state with low-lying terrains and a high population density, but he noted that the state has remained afloat due to various measures put in place by the government.
Wahab stressed the importance of being responsible and responsive as a people, stating that people cannot continue to brazenly abuse the environment without facing consequences. He mentioned that climate change is real and there is a cholera outbreak, which are all interconnected issues.
At Sangotedo by Lagos Business School, the Commissioner revealed that a 48-hour contravention notice has been served to owners of buildings lying within the drainage channels, followed by a 14-day abatement notice.
After the expiration of these notices, the law will take its course, and the government will commence full enforcement with an option of voluntary compliance.
