Among the
Ibibio of the South-South, there is the wisecrack that any challenge
that fits seamlessly into a solution is automatically presumed
preordained by providence. It is also from this rich pantheon that the
wisecrack that no war whose date is known in advance, ever catches no
physically-challenged person flat-footed or unawares. And because the
world has collapsed into a village with little or no boundaries, the
Lagos State government stretched across the River Niger to borrow this
reservoir of evergreen wisdom.
And because the state government recognises that a black goat must necessarily be located before dark, otherwise it becomes difficult, if not impossible to do so after nightfall, it has seized the opportunity of the beginning of the rainy season to provide a dedicated telephone line for residents of the mega city to report emergencies like flood. This is a most commendable move because more than any thing else, it is an acknowledgement of the geographical fact that because most parts of Lagos lie substantially below sea level, it would require a few hours of downpour to trigger heavy rain-induced flooding. According to the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services, Mr Ayodeji Adenekan, the measure is part of a two-pronged strategy to ensure that cases of flooding are nipped in the bud and where it does happen, counter-measures were in place to contain any emergency.
In the move which is worthy of commendation and betrays deep insight and proactivity by the state government, Adenekan listed the telephone number with which to alert relevant agencies in the event of rain-induced emergency as 0809183777. Cautioning that the dedicated number applies strictly for Short Messages Service, the state government went ahead to list other measures which it urged Lagosians to adopt to reduce, if not eliminate the effects of heavy rainfall-induced flooding which has become a recurrinbg nightmare in the mega city. Such indiscriminate practices which should be discouraged, he said, include indiscriminate dumping of refuse which often clog drains, forcing their blockage and failure to provide an effective drainage system for which they were originally mearnt.
‘Such unwholesome practice of dumping refuse in the drainage also encourages rapid vegetal growth inside the drains and consequently has made maintenance very difficult,’ he said in a statement. ‘Other disadvantages of dumping of refuse in drainages are the reduction in the capacity of drains built to accommodate storm water which, as a result, overflows and spills onto the roads, causing even more damage’. Urging residents to desist from possible contravention of the directive, Adenekan urged residents of the burstling mega city to use the instrumentality of the same dedicated line to report any one found dumping refuse in canals and drainages. Similarly, the statement also appealed to parents to ensure that children are properly guided to avoid drowning in canals some of which could flow quite fiercely and speedily during heavy rains.
We commend the LASG for taking this precautionary measure which eminently demonstrates sensitivity of the administration to a problem which has become accepted as perennial by residents of Lagos who have, most painfully, learnt to accept the annual ritual of floods which is usually triggered by rains basically because most parts of the city lie below the sea level, hence prone to flooding. Beside the provision of a dedicated line with which residents can alert relevant agencies in the event of flood-induced emergency, other remedial measures instituted by the state government to limit the impact of flood any where in the state should also be constantly revisited and modified whenever necessary. Such measures include the warning to residents of lowlying communities, including Lekki Peninsula, to begin to consider migrating to higher areas to avoid the often devastating impact of flash floods that usually occur after a heavy down pour and without notice.
As a matter of fact, a Lagos stake holder and former commissioner for the Environment in the state, Mr Muiz Banire is on record as having warned residents of particularly lowlying areas to migrate to higher grounds in their own interest since heavy downpour-induced flash floods have become a peculiar feature in the city. Such areas of the mega city that are usually worst-hit include the Lekki and adjoining areas; many areas in Kosofe council; parts of Ketu, especially the area flanking Ogun River and the stretch between Mile 2 and Badagry. Perhaps because of the pains of effecting relocation and the huge financial involvement, residents of flood-prone areas always tended to ignore warnings to relocate. We urge Lagosians to take this warning seriously because doing otherwise has always proved to be either regrettable or too late by those who refused to heed such timely warnings
And because the state government recognises that a black goat must necessarily be located before dark, otherwise it becomes difficult, if not impossible to do so after nightfall, it has seized the opportunity of the beginning of the rainy season to provide a dedicated telephone line for residents of the mega city to report emergencies like flood. This is a most commendable move because more than any thing else, it is an acknowledgement of the geographical fact that because most parts of Lagos lie substantially below sea level, it would require a few hours of downpour to trigger heavy rain-induced flooding. According to the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services, Mr Ayodeji Adenekan, the measure is part of a two-pronged strategy to ensure that cases of flooding are nipped in the bud and where it does happen, counter-measures were in place to contain any emergency.
In the move which is worthy of commendation and betrays deep insight and proactivity by the state government, Adenekan listed the telephone number with which to alert relevant agencies in the event of rain-induced emergency as 0809183777. Cautioning that the dedicated number applies strictly for Short Messages Service, the state government went ahead to list other measures which it urged Lagosians to adopt to reduce, if not eliminate the effects of heavy rainfall-induced flooding which has become a recurrinbg nightmare in the mega city. Such indiscriminate practices which should be discouraged, he said, include indiscriminate dumping of refuse which often clog drains, forcing their blockage and failure to provide an effective drainage system for which they were originally mearnt.
‘Such unwholesome practice of dumping refuse in the drainage also encourages rapid vegetal growth inside the drains and consequently has made maintenance very difficult,’ he said in a statement. ‘Other disadvantages of dumping of refuse in drainages are the reduction in the capacity of drains built to accommodate storm water which, as a result, overflows and spills onto the roads, causing even more damage’. Urging residents to desist from possible contravention of the directive, Adenekan urged residents of the burstling mega city to use the instrumentality of the same dedicated line to report any one found dumping refuse in canals and drainages. Similarly, the statement also appealed to parents to ensure that children are properly guided to avoid drowning in canals some of which could flow quite fiercely and speedily during heavy rains.
We commend the LASG for taking this precautionary measure which eminently demonstrates sensitivity of the administration to a problem which has become accepted as perennial by residents of Lagos who have, most painfully, learnt to accept the annual ritual of floods which is usually triggered by rains basically because most parts of the city lie below the sea level, hence prone to flooding. Beside the provision of a dedicated line with which residents can alert relevant agencies in the event of flood-induced emergency, other remedial measures instituted by the state government to limit the impact of flood any where in the state should also be constantly revisited and modified whenever necessary. Such measures include the warning to residents of lowlying communities, including Lekki Peninsula, to begin to consider migrating to higher areas to avoid the often devastating impact of flash floods that usually occur after a heavy down pour and without notice.
As a matter of fact, a Lagos stake holder and former commissioner for the Environment in the state, Mr Muiz Banire is on record as having warned residents of particularly lowlying areas to migrate to higher grounds in their own interest since heavy downpour-induced flash floods have become a peculiar feature in the city. Such areas of the mega city that are usually worst-hit include the Lekki and adjoining areas; many areas in Kosofe council; parts of Ketu, especially the area flanking Ogun River and the stretch between Mile 2 and Badagry. Perhaps because of the pains of effecting relocation and the huge financial involvement, residents of flood-prone areas always tended to ignore warnings to relocate. We urge Lagosians to take this warning seriously because doing otherwise has always proved to be either regrettable or too late by those who refused to heed such timely warnings
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