Magodo Residents Association(MRA) have urged Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to save the estate from a looming infrastructural and environmental degradation.
In a statement yesterday, Chairman of the MRA, Mr. Niyi Odusi, appealed to the governor to stop the development of buildings in a land-locked location originally classified as a gorge in the masterplan of Magodo GRA Phase 2, Shangisha, Lagos.
Odusi said the gorge serves as a natural water collection point and is supported by vegetation and sand mass that holds the elevated part of the location, which prevents the structures on the low lands from being submerged by flow of rain water.
The residents urged Sanwo-Olu to prevail upon a property developer allegedly in connivance with the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning bent on distorting the natural setting and peace of the environment at the expense of existing properly situated properties and infrastructural conveniences.
“Our concern is that developers aided by top officials of Lagos State Physical Planning have decided on building in the gorge and are bent on distorting the natural setting and peace of our environment at the expense of existing properly situated properties, infrastructural conveniences, and thereby cause ecological distortions in an otherwise natural and stable space.
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“In our letter of 24th April 2025, we had intimated the Ministry of Physical Planning and other relevant departments and agencies of Lagos state to this development. We expected that the relevant government agencies and departments would rise to the occasion to prevent a looming environmental disaster being perpetrated by this developer. Our suspicion is that there may be individuals within these agencies that are in cahoots with this developer,” Odusi said.
The residents added that distorting the gorge, which hitherto offered natural ecological balance, would constitute avoidable danger to the environment and to precious lives and properties.
Among many demands, they urged the state government to stop activities in the gorge at the Green Valley Zone of the estate; order the developer to reinstate the natural setting of the location and indemnify the existing property owners and residents against actions that may affect their safety, security, and quality of life.