Residents, landlords and traders around the Ilo-Awela Canal, Ajegunle-Toll Gate Sango area that borders Lagos and Ogun States have cried out over perennial flooding that had led to deaths and destruction of buildings in the area.
Some members of the communities in Ilo-Ajegunle who were affected by the perennial flood from the canal told our correspondent on Monday that the spot is the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States and because of that, it seems they have been abandoned by both governments.
The Chairman of the Ilo- Awela Ajegunle Market at the Toll Gate side of the canal, Taofeek Opara, told our correspondent that whenever the rainy season approaches, landlords, residents and traders along the canal route would start to fear for their safety.
He also told our reporter that a butcher, Olatunji Omiyale who later spoke with our correspondent lost his son to the flood in 2022.
He said, “This area of ours (Ilo-Awela, Ajegunle, Toll Gate) has become a kind of death trap for people living around here and doing business.
“In 2022, one Matthew Omiyale, an apprentice butcher was swept away by flood in September. His father Olatunji is also a butcher in this market.
“When it rains here, schoolchildren don’t even go to their schools because of the danger of being drowned. We have written letters to both the Ogun and Lagos State Governments on the matter.”
The chairman of the Community Development Association of Ajegunle-Ilo, Yinka Folarin, said flooding in the area arose because of the insensitivity of some residents, and traders who dispose of their wastes into the canal.
He appealed to both the Ogun and Lagos State governments to help the communities as the flood had caused untold damage to lives and property.
A man, Olatunji, whose son, Matthew, drowned in the 2022 flood, urged the two state governments to come to the aid of the communities.
When contacted, the chairman of Ajegunle-Ilo Central, Adebayo Lawal told our correspondent that last week they received a delegation from the Lagos State Government who came for assessment on the issue of the canal and they were promised by the government officials that work would soon commence on the canal.
When contacted, the Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Waheed Odusile, said, “The governor has made it known that anything that has to do with infrastructure is on top of his list in this second term. The government is ready to do everything to make life easier for the people of the state.
“Rural roads, electrification and other issues like that of this canal are top on his list. This is something that the Ogun State Government takes as a priority.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, did not take the calls made to his telephone line by our correspondent and he has yet to reply to a message that was sent to him.
