By Olasunkanmi Akoni

…To complete Mushin drainage projects in May
Lagos state Government has commenced construction of drainage channels in public schools across the state, aimed at reducing incidences of flooding in schools.

The state has taken giant strides in fulfilling the educational aspirations of its citizenry. It  has 906 primary schools with 859,456 pupils. The state also has 360 secondary schools with 633,247 students, five Technical Colleges with 3,223 students, two Colleges of Education including that for Primary Education.

With perennial flooding challenges in public schools, the state government begun the rehabilitation and cleaning of drainages in several schools ravaged by flood last year.

This is to ensure that the schools are flood-free this year. About 623 schools were identified last year to have been ravaged by flood, and such schools that were in most critical condition had been identified for urgent rehabilitation.

Some of the schools were flooded during the raining seasons because they were located in flood-prone areas, with the rehabilitation it would help to arrest disruption of learning during the raining season.

“The government is committed to tackling the challenges posed by flooding in the state. We are not only concerned about the drainage channels and canals but also important to us is the drainage channels around the schools.

“We are reconstructing and rehabilitating them to free the schools from flooding so as to enable our children learn in a conducive atmosphere,” Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello stated in one of his inspection tour to such schools.

Bello said government had promised to complete all ongoing construction, dredging and maintenance of drainage projects in the 57 local councils in the state as part of efforts to ensure that the drains were cleaned before the rainy season.

The commissioner expressed satisfaction with the job done by the contractor handling the project, noting that the dredging and lining of the channel had provided great relief to the people in the areas.

Bello, during a recent inspection of ongoing drainage projects across the state in preparation for the 2013 rainy season, said some structures built on drainage channels would also be demolished while some places would be shut down for not adhering to environmental regulation.

One of the schools being executed under the year 2013 deflooding of schools executive programme, by direct labour, is Eleja group of schools at Itire Ishaga, Mushin area of the state.

The scope of works include: Construction of 2000 meters length of 0.4m cross section internal drain, construction of 300 metres length of 0.75 m x 0.75m cross section external drain.

According to the commissioner, the progress work on the schools had been completed while similar projects would be carried out in other identified public schools in the state.

However, Bello, expressed displeasure and great concern of government over the environmental nuisance always created by the Ladipo spare part dealers around the trapezoidal section of Isolo conduit channel.

While condemning the act, Bello, who was accompanied by the chairman of the state on Special Offences on Environmental Task Force, Supol Bayo Sulaimon, declared that government would not continue to fold its arm and watch the environment being degraded by the activities of the dealers.

Other places inspected in the Mushin environs included cleaning of Fakuro/Fagbnro downstream, proposed construction of the mid-stream of Fagbenro/Takuro/Ewunni/Paul Okunola/Mushin Itire collector drain, Seriki, Musa Streets and rehabilitation of System 6c in Abeokuta Street.

Bello said: “They are significant drains and it services a large proportion of Mushin local Government Area in habitants living in the area against serious flooding situation.”