Right of way restoration: Lagos extends removal notice to owners of structures on Ikota river setback

The Lagos State Government on Thursday issued an extended vacation notice to remove valuables to all residents and owners of structures on the Ikota River setback as the state commenced the poking of fences on the setback.

The additional notice which was sequel to passionate pleas from some of the residents followed the expiration of all served mandatory contravention notices served on the properties ro restore of the drainage right of way along the Ikota River.

Speaking with Journalists after an inspection tour to the affected areas cutting across Oral, Westend and Parts of Megamound Estates in Lekki, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab said the removal of all contravening structures would commence in order to find a lasting solution to flooding issues in the axis.

He said Government had received several complaints  and whilst it was engaging the property owners to find a win-win solution with reduced economic impact on home owners, some developers have gone ahead to  further sandfill and push back the Ikota river.

He added that Government had a digital footprint of the length and breath of the river, stressing that the tour was to ascertain the extent of encroachment of the ROW and what  the team experienced was not encouraging.

Wahab said  Government has decided to give some more time to home owners to relocate their families and their valuables, hence the shift in the date for commencement of the restoration process.

According to him, “We have said to our officials, let us allow them move their things out; family men and women with children reside here; So whilst that is ongoing, we poked the walls as signal of our readiness to restore the Right of Way.

At Oral Estate, the Commissioner noted that the level of encroachment witnessed  cannot be compared to what was on ground last year when the state officials visited, stating  that while some residents were engaging  government to find lasting solution to rechannel some of the primary alignments and secondary collectors, some developers have went ahead to push back the right of way for the Ikota River.

” Government is here today with machines to poke all the walls and then push them back from further encroachment”

“At Lekki County here, what some developers are doing is reclamation and government needs to put them in check; If you are doing a reclamation, the first thing you have to obtain is Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) and Drainage Clearance documents and most of them do not have it” he said

He said the EIA process would ensure that the reclamation does not extend beyond the drainage alignment and the discharge of storm water does not affect the ecosystem before the EIA document will be issued.

He directed that the reclaimation on going at Lekki County should stop because those doing it have sandfilled and pushed beyond the limits into the right of way.

The Commissioner noted that in Oral Estate, about 18 Units were affected, 13 in Lekki County and 8 units in Westend Estate adding that only those lying within the River Ikota will be removed.

“But what we also seek to do is engage homeonners  properly because developers are selling and giving titles to innocent buyers of value, that’s why I say let those people that are innocent, that have their children in schools shouldn’t get their lives disrupted because you want to enforce”.

“Home owners affected are not disputing the fact that something is wrong, they have all admitted, but they are appealing to the government to give them  time to find a way to reset ourselves”

Wahab said Government will not put money before humanity saying that developers are all about with their selfish interest not minding the pain that people go through.

“We will come back and  see the level of compliance so the notices are not timed,  but we are telling them, just they must find a way to move their things”

The Commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi- Akodu; Permanent Secretary ; Office of Drainage Services Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; LASWMO GM, Engr Adefemi Afolabi and other  directors from the Ministry and its Agencies.

Places visited include Oral Estate, Lekki County Estate, Megamounds Estate and WestEnd Estate, all in Lekki.