The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works has directed the removal of silted drains along federal roads in the state with a view to curbing the flood on the highways.

The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

“Our teams are currently deployed to assess the situation while removing silted drains along the affected roads are currently being carried out,” Kesha said.

Kesha said that the ministry understood the inconvenience caused by these flash floods and was committed to eliminating the disruptions caused thereafter.

The controller clarified that contrary to some reports, Lagos was not experiencing widespread submergence from floodwaters caused by the early morning heavy rainfall.

She noted however, that the ministry acknowledged that localised flooding had affected certain sections of federal roads within the city adding that necessary actions were being taken to arrest the situations.

Flood takes over residential areas in Ibeju-Lekki

Recall that flood had taken over residential areas and major roads in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State following heavy rainfall in the past few days.

The rain which lasted for many hours on Wednesday resulted in flooding in residential areas in Ibeju-Lekki and other strategic locations.

Some of the affected areas included Epe, Eredo, Bogije, Labora, Abijon, Sangotedo, Awoyaya and Ibeju-Lekki.

Some  of the residents who spoke with NAN attributed the flooding to the blockage of waterways due to indiscriminate dumping of waste in the localities.

Mr Rasheed Ayobami, a resident in the Labora area of Ibeju-Lekki, said his house was submerged by water due to lack of a functional drainage system  in the new site, where he lives.

He said that water filled his home and destroyed some of belongings.

“There is too much water flowing into my compound, the entire house is submerged.

“I live in a new site where there is no drainage which makes the water run into residential homes, rendering us homeless because we can’t sleep inside the water,” he said.

Another resident, Seyi Arowosaye, decried the perennial flooding in Ibeju-Lekki Expressway due to blockage of drains in the metropolis.

Arowosaye called on Ibeju-Lekki Local Government to clear drains and urged residents to desist from further dumping of waste in drainage to control flooding.

He also urged the Lagos State Government to speed up the completion of road repairs in Sangotedo area of Ibeju.

Mrs Bola Fadugba lamented the effect of the downpour and flooding in Labora area.

“I live in Labora but during the rainy season I do relocate with my family to my younger sister’s house in the Eputu area.

“Flood has taken over my house due to lack of drainage in the environment.

“So many areas in the metropolis are also affected by flooding, the government should find a lasting solution to this perennial flooding challenge,”  she said.

The flood also affected some roads such as Abraham Adesanya, Awoyaya, Sangotedo and Majek areas of the metropolis in Ibeju lekki due to the ongoing rehabilitation road works in the localities.

Workers groan as downpour causes gridlock in Lagos

Meanwhile, some Lagos workers on Wednesday lamented the persistent rainfall which is causing gridlock and flooding in many parts of the state.

Lagos is experiencing consistent rainfall, which is causing gridlock and flooding in various parts of the city.

Some workers who spoke with NAN said that the rain has led to hike in transport fare,  amidst economic hardship.

It has become a common occurrence during the rainy season in Lagos and it leads to disruptions in transportation, businesses, and daily activities.

Mr Oluwaseun Olatunbosun, a resident in Alimosho who works with Fibrenet around the Ikeja area, told NAN that there was always a hike in fare anytime the rain fell.

“If there is no rain, I spend like N1,000 from my house around Orisunbare to Ikeja where my office is but I spend well over N1,000 during the rainy season.

“As it is now, the traffic is heavy and I am sure there will be an increase in the fare as I am going to the office,” he said.

Another resident, Miss Favour Blessing, who lives around Ilepo in Abule Egba and works in a Spar in Ikeja, told NAN that the fare to her office usually was between N600 and N800 if there was no rain.

“Right now with the rain, the fare could be between N1,000 and N1,400.
“It is worrisome because of the economic situation in the country. Sometimes I don’t even go to work because of the hike in fare when it rains,” she said.

A schoolteacher, Mrs Juliet Okonkwo, told NAN that most of her students come late to school during the rainy season.

Okonkwo added that the rain does not only affect the students but also the teachers too.

“We have to make our way to work even with the gridlock because we have a responsibility to the kids,” she said.

Another Lagos worker, an architect, Mr Shola Ayodele, told NAN that work was always slow during rainy seasons.

He added that the rainy season affected his site engineers because they hardly come to work, blaming their absence to the hike in fares.

Lagos calls for calm as state experiences over 9hrs rainfall

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday called for calm over the flash flood caused by the torrential rainfall experienced throughout the state.

The  Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, made the plea in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

“Lagos has experienced about nine hours of non-stop rainfall since the early hours of Wednesday.

“This is coupled with the heavy rainfall which the state has been experiencing on a daily basis since the previous week resulting in the rise in level of the Lagos lagoon,” Wahab said.

He said the flash floods which inundated areas such as Iyana-Oworo linking the Third Mainland and several other areas would recede once the rains abate and the level of the lagoon reduces.

The commissioner added that the state had deployed officials of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to major black spots including Iyana-Oworo which had been cleared of all blockages.

He urged all those in low lying areas to as a matter of necessity relocate to higher grounds at this period to safeguard lives and properties.

He urged residents to desist from wading through floods with their vehicles as it takes only a feet of flowing water with high tide to sweep away a vehicle irrespective of the number of occupants.

Wahab also urged all residents to avail themselves of daily weather reports as issued by the State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources as it serves as a guide to daily itinerary.

He noted that Lagos is a coastal city with almost one third of its landmass under water, as such necessitating a genuine reason for every resident to be more responsive to the state of the environment.

He reiterated that the government on its part has embarked upon a year long maintenance and cleaning of all its secondary and primary collectors to be able to contain runoffs that may come from heavy rainfalls.

“Residents on their parts are expected to regularly clean and maintain the tertiary drains in front of their tenements and refrain from dumping refuse in the drains for the collective good of everyone,” he said.

NiMet predicts 3-day thunderstorm, rains from Wednesday

Earlier, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorm and rains from Wednesday to Friday across the country.

NiMet`s weather outlook released on Tuesday in Abuja predicted  morning thunderstorms on Wednesday over parts of Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba and Adamawa states.

“While afternoon/evening thunderstorms are expected over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe states.

“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue and Niger states in the North Central in the morning.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory and Benue states,” it said.

According to NiMet, morning rains are expected over parts of Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Ogun, Abia, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in the southern region.

It anticipated high prospects of continuous rains for Lagos which might lead to flooding.

The agency forecast thunderstorms with rains over the entire region during the afternoon and evening hours.

NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms over parts of Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states on Thursday with thunderstorms over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Jigawa states later in the day.

“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kogi and Niger states in the North Central in the morning.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue states.

“Morning thunderstorms with rains are expected over parts of Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Lagos, Delta, Abia, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in southern region.

“Rains are expected over the entire region during the afternoon and evening hours, “ it said.

NiMer predicted morning thunderstorms over parts of Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe states on Friday while thunderstorms are expected over the entire region later in the day.

It anticipated partly cloudy atmosphere in the morning over the North Central region with thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue and Kogi states later in the day.

“Morning rains are expected over parts of Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in southern region.

“In the afternoon/evening hours, rains are expected over the entire region during the afternoon/evening hours,” it said.

NiMet urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.

It further urged the public to take note and take safety precaution in places where continuous rains were expected, flood incidences might occur.

It advised Airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecast from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.