The Lagos State Government, on Thursday, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to traders operating under Apogbon Bridge and on the drainage setbacks on Lagos Island to vacate the premises.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued the notice while addressing the media after an inspection tour of the Savage/Elegbata Bombata Drainage channel around the Olowogbowo/Apongbon area of Lagos Island.
This was made known in a statement issued by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kunle Adeshina.
“I have instructed that the shop/stall owners be served abatement notice. We are going to clear these infractions and keep the maintenance work going while ensuring that the contract is revisited to accommodate these two collectors,” Wahab said.
The move, according to the ministry, is in line with an ongoing Lagos Island urban regeneration.
Wahab, who observed during the inspection that traders selling livestock had also converted under Apongbon bridge to a ranch and livestock market, ordered an immediate relocation of the livestock traders to designated markets.
“What we saw is not something that we are happy about. People have fully built on setback and drainage channels and when you build structures on these infrastructure, how do you expect these infrastructure to be maintained?” He queried.
“We have abused these infrastructures and I have given directives to the appropriate department to serve notice of abatement and if compliance is not carried out, enforcement will commence,” he added
He also ordered the sealing of two buildings “because they stacked their building materials on the drainage system and this is illegal because they block the drainage system in the process. Such offenders will be required to remove the materials and clean the drainage system before they are unsealed.”
The commissioner, in response to a resolution by the House of Assembly regarding the stealing of manhole covers, noted that his ministry and the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure were working together to address the issue.