Lagos State commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has shed more light on the demolition of buildings in the Mende area of the state, stating that the developers were served contravention notices since 2021.

Tokunbo, during a press briefing on the development, said “when we took our oath of office in September las year and were subsequently given the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources portfolio, we realized that we were faced with a Lagos environment that has largely been degraded due to brazen acts of the minority which has however festered because concerted efforts were not made to right the wrongs while ensuring that there were consequences for infractions. Right from the word go, we were very equivocal that we must take back the Lagos environment from all forms of abuses, infractions.

A careful review of the various briefings and reviews showed that with the coastal nature of the state, past and present administrations have done a lot to ensure that Lagos does not experience loss of lives and properties to the vagaries of flooding that comes with torrential rainfalls while committing humongous resources. This has always come in terms of clearing and cleaning of all major primary and secondary drainage channels on a year round basis. It was however discovered that because of the selfishness of some people who considered themselves affluent and could have their ways irrespective of whose ox is gored, many of our major drainage channels setbacks have been built upon. This is after they have been served statutory contravention notices. Some even have their structures marked but they go ahead to remove the markings and continue with the erection of such structures.

What is however ironic is that the same people who have used physical structures to block our drainage and do not allow the storm water to drain into the proper channels that will take it into the river or lagoon are the same people with the loudest voices in lampooning the state for not doing enough to prevent flash flooding and resultant damage to properties and avoidable dislocations and loss of lives.

Right from the system 44 Ikota II Mobil Ologolo channel from where the ministry received an SOS message from many residents including residential estates about the unwholesome acts of a few individual property owners who have constructed structures on the drainage setbacks and also went ahead to fill up major drains leading to the IKota. The management of the team led by the Hon. Commissioner has been very decisive about the open display of brazenness by some property owners in the area. The top shots in the ministry had to contend with campaign of calumny and falsehoods peddled to portray them as highhanded, wicked and callous state officials. But because the ministry was on the side of truth, it has ensured that the law took its effect. Today, the contract for the expansion and lining of the Ikota II Mobil channel has been awarded and is ongoing, giving a permanent peace of mind to property owners and residents.

The same has applied in Apapa where illegal extension of fences by property owners have prevented the ministry from having access to its drainage channels for many years. A similar scenario played out at the System 156 and 157 which has witnessed total obliteration of major drainage channels with buildings and the list goes on and on.

The ministry has strengthened its Drainage Enforcement and Compliance department to be very firm but polite in ensuring due diligence concerning all drainage channels and restoring Right of Ways on all channels.

In the drainage sector, while the ministry is ramping up to ensure law and order, it is also constructing new drainage channels while intensifying work on those ongoing. Presently, over 200km of secondary collector drains and 50km of primary channels and concrete lining of drainage channels has been achieved.

For the drainage maintenance, a total of 34 Nos. Primary Channels totaling approximately 115km length were approved and executed under maintenance Dredging of Primary Channels Programme spanning all the original 20 Local Government Areas and effectively draining several catchment areas simultaneously while 144 Nos of Secondary Collectors covering 125.7km spread were also cleaned. Thirty – Nine (39) Nos. Primary Channels with a total length of approx. 117.76 km length has been approved for execution this year 2024.

While for the Maintenance of Secondary Collectors, about 281 Nos. Collector Drains totaling approximately 242.5 km in length, spread across the Twenty (20) Local Government Areas of the State has been approved for Cleaning.

The ministry has also ramped up its activities on the state of the environment leading to improved and timely waste clearing efforts all over the state. The state of the two main dumpsite of Olusosun and Soulous has also experienced some form rehabilitation leading to increased capacity. Lagos State Government also signed an MOU with JOSPONG Group from Ghana on solid and liquid waste treatment solutions in the state. This MOU will ensure the Identification of existing dumpsites/TLSs as potential candidates for conversion/upgrading to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and compost facilities. The collaboration between LASG and JOSPONG technical teams will re-engineer the solid waste management system in Lagos State and ensure creation of job opportunities in the Waste to Wealth value chain.

Following my announcement of a ban of use, sale and distribution of Styrofoam food containers on January 22, 2024, due to grave health concerns and the dangers to our eco system and drainage channels, the Ministry through the Sanitation Services Department facilitated meetings with stakeholders concerned and followed up the 3 weeks’ moratorium to mop-up Styrofoam products from distributors and Lagos markets. After the expiration, enforcement activities were commenced by joint effort of Scientific Officers in the Ministry, Environmental Health Officers as well as KAI personnel in the State. A total of over 900 kg of Styrofoam food containers have so far been confiscated and deposited at the TLS Marini in Oshodi for destruction. More efforts are however being intensified on public awareness and sensitization of residents on the dangers inherent in the continued usage of the Styrofoam food containers.

One of our agencies, LAWMA during the period under review identified 103 illegal blackspots across the metropolis and made efforts to ensure its dislodging just as a total number of 1,081 environmental offenders were arrested for various environmental offences with 1016 being prosecuted by the Mobile Magistrate’s court and sentenced to community service at various locations in the state, with an option of fine. Monitoring gangs were also deployed across 20 Local Governments to capture evidence of illegal dumping activities and possible prosecution.

The Ministry during the period under review through its State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) undertook 367 enforcement activities in households, markets, hotels, warehouses, service centers, eateries, stores, church, mosques as well as 140 hospitality facilities including; Supermarket, Nightclubs, Bake houses with a view to ensuring compliance with the state environmental laws. 76 abatement notices were served to individuals and organizations violating laws on indiscriminate discharge of raw sewerage in to the lagoon or other forms of water and land pollution. A 25% compliance rate with environmental laws was recorded compared to the previous year.

The Agency successfully collaborated with the Air Quality Monitoring Research Group(AQMRG) UNILAG/AIRQo (University of Makarere) on Air Quality study of Lagos and deployed 24 low-cost Air Sensors across Lagos metropolis which has helped to record a reliable data on particulate matter PM2.5 as related to health and the environment of the entire State.

In a renewed step to ensure safety of lives and property of residents, the Operatives of KAI/LAGESC in line with the provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Management law renewed the enforcement of the use of pedestrian bridges. At the count, a total number of 1,032 persons were arrested for crossing the highway and failure to use pedestrian bridges. 165 miscreants and squatters on the pedestrian bridges across the state were also dislodged and the bridges cleaned up.

The Agency arrested a total of 1,886 people comprising illegal traders, street Traders, environmental polluters and cart pushers. All these individuals were prosecuted according to the 2017 Lagos State Environmental Protection Management Law. The agency also ensured that perishable food items and goods confiscated during its several enforcement raids were donated to orphanages, motherless homes and the needies as prescribed by the law.

In terms of beautification and restoring the aesthetics of the Lagos environment, the Lagos Signage and Advertising Company (LASAA) has embarked on a comprehensive project to replace dilapidated street directional signs across Lagos State, enhancing navigability, safety, and aesthetics within urban areas.

Distinguished guests, gentlemen of the press, what I have just done is to give you a brief snap shot of some of the strides we have recorded across the environment and water resources sector in the last one year and beyond and will now go ahead to give a detailed account across the two offices that make up the Environment and Water Resources ministry and all its agencies before taking your questions and comments.”