Blocked drains: ‘Yaba landowners may lose some land’

The Executive Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Kayode Adejare Omiyale on Sunday notified landowners that they may have to sacrifice some land for proper drainage work.

Omiyale lamented that stagnant water in blocked drains had become an environmental hazard to residents of the LCDA.

One solution to the problem, he explained, is chanelisation of drainage, adding that this may require some extra land.

The council chief spoke while inspecting blocked drainages at Panti/Omolere Elebiju/Tokunbo Streets.

He promised to proffer a permanent solution to the problem.

Omiyale said: “I am deeply concerned about the consequences of the stagnant water in this environment due to the blocked drainages.

“As a Local Government, we may not be able to solve all the problems because of the huge cost of channelisation, (but) we are going to clear the blocked drains and de-silt.

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“Apparently that is not the final solution; this water must move freely to the appropriate place.

“The land owners need to sacrifice part of their land for the channelisation.

“We are going to continue this discussion beyond here, we need to involve the drainage department of the Ministry of the Environment.”

A resident, Chief Omolere Elebiju, thanked the Chairman for carrying out an the spot assessment of the situation.

Afterwards, Omiyale presented cash assistance to several indigent persons in the LCDA in the second in the series this year of his empowerment  programme for the aged and widows.

Eighty aged persons and 20 widows from Ward A benefitted from the exercise.

“We must care for the aged and the widows,” he said, noting that they were once active and productive in the society.

Omiyale added: “Being qualified to be called aged is a privilege, not everybody will grow to be so qualified, we are praying fervently to grow to your level, it is in the hand of God.”

The occasion was witnessed by the member representing Lagos Mainland at the House of Representative, Abdulraheen Olajide Jimoh; Member House of Assembly representing Mainland II, Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun; Otunba Tayo Oyemade; Alade Grillo; All Progressives Congress (APC) Yaba LCDA chairman Raheem lbraheem; Vice Chairman Nurudeen Bolanle Aileru; Leader of the House, Solomon Gbinigie; other Councillors,  Supervisors, management staff among others.