Guardian newspaper Monday, December 15, 2008
War against filth continues in Lagos
By David Ibemere
ANYONE who thought the Lagos State government had won the battle against filth and garbage need only to visit Alhaji Raimi Street, Owodunni Street, Ifelodun, Alafia and others in the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Council of the state.
If nothing else, the sights that residents and their visitors are confronted with, show the battle is far from over.
Those unfamiliar with the area would shudder in disbelief at the heaps of garbage, foul-smelling pools of stagnant water and the utter grimness of the entire environment.
The deplorable roads and streets make the matters much worse.
A visitor to Raimi Street, Mr. Badmus Okpere, looked on in disbelief and asked: "How, in the name of humanity, can human beings reside on these streets? Can it be that they have been so degraded and conditioned to live in any area, no matter how bad? Are these people unaware of the need for a healthy and clean environment?"
Indeed, residents patronise restaurants and bars close to heaps of garbage.
They do not seem to mind the offensive odour, whether it could be a detriment to their health or not.
But some of the residents are not happy with the situation.
The heaps of garbage, the nauseating smell from the pools of water in Alhaji Raimi Street and others, have led to calls on the Lagos State government to take action and save them from the condition they find themselves.
"We know that patronizing those food sellers could endanger our health, but man must eat," a resident, Seun Ademola, told The Guardian on Friday.
The resident of Alhaji Raimi Street, Adewunmi Oyebade, who has lived there for more than two decades, told The Guardian that the street could have been saved from deterioration if pleas by landlords and tenants had been given attention by the government.
"What we are going through is indescribable and if necessary steps are not taken by the government, lives of the residents would be in danger," he said.
He said their health was in danger, as they are now susceptible to all manner of health hazards.
A resident of Owodunni Street, Osita Agu, who spoke to The Guardian, said: "Whenever it rains, there is always flood, which even affects our homes.
"There was a day it rained heavily and a pupil was almost drowned in a ditch while trying to pick his way through the pool of water.
Luckily, he was rescued by residents who rushed to the scene," he said.
He implored the Lagos State government to come to their rescue by repairing the roads, constructing drainage channels for water to run into the canals whenever it rains.
He said the major cause of their plight was lack of drainage system along the Mile Two -Orile Expressway as a result of which run-off finds easy access to their streets and homes.
The Secretary of Alafia Street Community Development Association, Alhaji Saka Adediran, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, told The Guardian that landlords and landladies formed the association over 20 years ago.
"When our problem began and we saw it was not something we could handle, we unanimously agreed to reach out to appropriate authorities and also map out our own strategies.
" We did not know flood in Alafia Street until 22 years ago, when the street was extended and the expressway constructed, " he said.
He further revealed that they had to build makeshift wooden bridges so that residents could have access to their homes and that the cost of some drainages constructed was borne by the Community Development Association.
He said the abandonment of the project was due to the fact that the association could no longer raise money to continue.
He called on the appropriate state and local council authorities to come to their aid and save their streets and homes from impending danger.
A resident of Ifelodun Street, Okolie Onwubiko, said the lack of drainage system was responsible for the problems in Ifelodun, Owodunni and other streets.
"Sometimes, we have to wade the pools of water to get into our homes while our household goods gave been destroyed several times," he said.
Another resident, Mama Rukayat who spoke to The Guardian said their lives were in danger as they were prone to all manner of health hazards.
A food seller, Mama Adeola, said she was fully aware of the danger of contaminated food but that she had no option because she must assist her husband to take care of the family.
She implored the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to assist in repairing their streets to ameliorate their suffering.
Another concerned citizen, a commercial bus driver, Adeyemi Lawal, who resides in Ifelodun Street, said with the on-going efforts by Fashola to keep Lagos State clean, measures should be taken to arrest the sorry situation in their area so as to put check health and environmental hazards.
He told The Guardian that hoodlums and miscreants have capitalised on the situation and have taken over some deserted buildings where they smoke Indian hemp and from where they attack innocent citizens.
