By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

THE Lagos State Government has directed erring residents to vacate and stop building on natural waterways or face severe sanction, just as it charged council managers, members of Community Development Associations, CDAs, to ensure and monitor a hitch- free demolition exercise of illegal structures built on water channels in the state.

the state Commissioner for Rural Development, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi gave the charge during an inspection tour of areas prone to persistent flooding in Ojo Local Government, Oto Awori and Iba LCDA.

This came even as Mrs. Derin Disu, Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on CBD and former chairman of the Lagos Island local government, threatened to shut down the popular Balogun Market and others around Lagos Island Central Business District, CBD, indefinitely over what he described as their poor sanitary conditions.

According to Pastor Ojelabi, there was the need for the support and cooperation of the people for officers that would be sent to carry out enforcement on the demolition exercise from being attacked.

Ojelabi noted that most of the flooding problems experienced in Lagos State were self-created and one that could have been avoided despite the coastal nature of the State.

He lamented that most of the waterways and existing canals leading to Ologe River are blocked by people constructing houses on waterways.

Pastor Ojelabi urged them to also desist from the habit of throwing refuse in the canal and dumping refuse because by so doing the canals get blocked obstructing free flow of water, which eventually leads to flooding when it rains.

Addressing the chairmen of the Community Development Associations present at Usman Mogaji Street, Ojelabi solicited for the support and cooperation of the people for officers that would be sent to rectify the problems as some of the illegal structures blocking the waterways may have to be demolished to allow for free flow of water to the Ologe River.

While urging the CDAs and community members not to leave the development of the community to the government alone, he assured them that the state government would try and meet their various demands which include transformers, provision of potable water, construction of good roads, adding that their demands would be prioritized and the channelization of water would be addressed first.

Ojelabi appealed to CDAs to partner with the government by ensuring that their drains are cleared.

Earlier, the commissioner had visited Aka Road where it was noticed that the canal coming from Kembari, Alaba roads had been narrowed down by people erecting structures on the channel, thereby causing flooding during heavy downpour.

He was also at Fatoki Street, Odinaka at Ajangbadi, Afromedia, Kemberi canal where a 16-year-old boy drowned last month and Akani Crescent by Mojisola Street where the same problem of flooding is caused by Akanni people building on waterways and blocking the free flow of water from all these roads and canal to Ologe River.

Pastor Ojelabi also inspected the canal coming from Liberty Estate which needs clearing and dredging.