By Moshood Adebayo and Tessy Igomu
Several parts of Lagos State were yesterday flooded due to the downpour witnessed across the state at the weekend.
Areas like Gbagada, Lekki, Oworonshoki, Shogunle, Ikorodu and Ifako were submerged due the rain, which started on Saturday night and fell throughout Sunday.
It also rendered homeless most people, even as it destroyed property worth millions of naira.
According to Mr. Michael Akindele, General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), as at Saturday night, several distress calls were received regarding flooding, which affected some areas within the state.
He noted that though no life was lost but unquantifiable amount of property were destroyed. He disclosed that streets around the Oworo axis, including Fasasi Ojomu, Ogunyomi, Abiola, Akewusola, Adebanwo, Unity, Oduduwa, Agberin as well as Hassan and Owutu were flooded.
Meanwhile, the state government has urged residents not to panic over the heavy rain, assuring that necessary steps have been taken to avert flood disaster.
Ambode, who spoke through the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, yesterday, said his administration had in recent times carried out intensive tour of some flood prone communities to clear blocked drainages and waterways.
The governor, who lamented indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways and drainages created, said campaigns against such practice by the government were for the interest of the residents.
He warned that the government would no longer tolerate the building of illegal structures on waterways in the state, which he said had caused a lot of environmental disasters,
To this end, he said the government had demolished illegal structures and shanties on waterways, especially in flood prone areas.
Ambode stressed the need for residents living on wetlands and flood prone areas to be careful.
Meanwhile, the governor has ordered contractors handling the ever-busy Berger Bus Stop, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to work day and night to ensure completion of the road by December.
He gave the order at the weekend, when he carried out extensive inspection of ongoing projects across the state. The expansion projects at Berger include the construction of about 700 metres slip road through which traffic outward Lagos-Ibadan Expressway can connect Omole Phase Two, Magodo Phase One and Olowoora.
The road, designed with drainage channels, sidewalks and streetlights, is about six metres wide and can conveniently accommodate two vehicles at a time.
Aside from the pedestrian bridge, which has been completed, there are also expanded lay-bys and reservation areas at both sides of the Berger Bus Stop to facilitate easy pulling off of commercial and private vehicles from the expressway.
Briefing Ambode on the work done so far on Berger projects, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, said the projects, on completion, would give Berger a befitting look and ensure permanent removal of gridlock in the area.
The governor also inspected the newly completed lay-by at Car Wash Bus Stop in Oworonsoki, which made it four lay-bys constructed in Oworonsoki axis by the Ambode administration.