Ogba residents, shop owners decry impact of drainage reconstruction


By Chioma Ezeotu and Bamidele Olamide

The Lagos State Ministry of Environment through its department of drainage has started the reconstruction of the drainage in the Ogba Area to assure them a flood-free raining season henceforth.

The drainage which is now being expanded on the side of the Area G Police Station and The Nigerian Institute of Journalism has been a source of worry to business operators and residents of the area. Before the ongoing reconstruction, the dilapidated state of the drainage has made it a home for stagnant, filthy and dirty water filled with different kinds of waste as the clogged drainage has made it impossible for deposited waste to go.



According to information from the Engineer in charge of the project, Mr Ayomide Adebiyi, the drainage is a closed one which will link to a bigger cross-culvert at Mokolu Area.


Business operators decry effect on sales


As a result of the reconstruction, business operators whose daily transactions have been affected complain about their daily loss of sales and the dirty state of the environment. Talking to some of them who were willing to bare their minds, the NIJ Voice gathers:

Mrs Alex Amina, a minimart owner dealing in snacks and bread said: "I am doing half of my production now, I know what I use to make in a day but it's like half I make now. Half sales so half production. It is not helping me at all. Usually, I place the show glass outside but when they started digging, I stopped because it may fall into the gutter and break. So the show glass has to be kept inside and some people don't find it funny to climb the bridge that they have constructed, so they just pass. It is really affecting me".

Another shop owner in the area, Mr John said that he is not happy about the declining state of his business. And that it is affecting him as a family man. "I have many issues to attend to, on the other hand, my business is crying for mercy". He pleaded the men at work be fast with the reconstruction of the drainage.


Mr Okeke Isaac, a public bus driver said: “Considering the drainage, we cannot say we are very comfortable with it, it is a good project government is doing but the area they are supposed to focus their attention on is the front of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism instead of the Area G police station, I believe the expansion around there is enough.

Mrs Esther, who sells clothing materials, noted that she is happy about the reconstruction of the gutters because anytime rain falls in the area it is usually a bad sight to behold but now that the government has considered this issue and proffer solution to it.  "I am very grateful but the decrease in the buyers of my product is not good at all, I'm not happy about it".


Expect Tangible Change in a few weeks – Engr Adebiyi


Allaying the fears of the business owners in the Are G, Ogba bus stop, the engineer in charge of the project Mr Ayomide Adebiyi said the project will be done in no time, as every material to facilitate that is already available.


“I am assuring you that, God being on our side, by the end of February tremendous changes that are visible to the people. The speed and quality of the job is what everybody can see.” 

He also made it known that the reconstruction of the drainage is a project embarked upon by the Lagos state government to end the problem of flooding that Ogba residents and its environs face every rainy season.

“We are not working on that area (Ogba, Area G Police Station) alone, if we discover that there are some areas we still need to work on we will work on it.”  

The project is an ongoing project that is expanding to nearby areas, Mokolu and ACME road are already undergoing reconstruction as the drainage needs to link to a bigger vent where the drained water will be discharging into.

Past reports have it that, one of the major reasons for the blockage in the drainage system is due to the heaps of solid waste product being littered around, thereby blocking the passage for the liquid waste.

According to Ogba resident, during and after any heavy downpour, there is always unbearable flood which usually endanger lives and destroy properties of the people.

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