Who should take the blame for the Lagos floods?
When an environmental disaster like flooding becomes a norm in a place, the question of fault begs to be asked. Year after year, Lagos floods lead to the loss of lives and properties, restrict work flow and turn residents to Olympic swimmers.
While it’s okay for us to post videos and rant about the Lagos floods on social media, we can’t afford to just stop there. We need to get answers to the questions that are on our lips: ‘Who do we blame?’ and more importantly, ‘What can be done?’
Who do you think is to be blamed?
Nature?
Since the early months of 2022, there have been ominous predictions for about 31 states in the country (including Lagos state) experiencing excess rainfall.
Now that the forecast has become reality, the question is : Wasn’t there a plan on ground to combat this menace? Or did nature play the government by pumping out more waterworks than they expected and prepared for?
Lagos Residents?
Lagos state is the most populous state in Nigeria but also the smallest in land mass. This fact spells excess waste and a fight between man and nature to dominate space. Lagos is a low coastal area–and this should be an advantage not a disadvantage.
Normally, a place with all the water bodies in the dictionary should be able to drain itself but–you know how the thing goes–unwanted swimming pools are all we got. Residents are seen pushing against water without a fail-safe land use plan. These same residents are the ones seen littering buses, roadsides and dumping refuse on roadsides.
These residents also argue that they wouldn’t be in the mess in the first place had the government and law enforcement agencies put a proper system in place for waste management and land use planning.
Here is where we pass the blame baton to the government.
Government?
In 1984, the federal government took a $72 million loan from the World Bank on behalf of the Lagos state government–a loan repayable in 20 years. (We can only hope that the gbese was cleared out in 2004.
The plan was to extend the drainage system in the city to reduce flooding problems. Another attempt was the Drainage Master Plan for Lagos Stateand Pilot Area Integrated Infrastructure System. *let’s out a long breath*
This plan was prepared by Dar Al-Handasah consultants/CIVTRA Consultants, a service firm that operates in Africa. I will try to save you the drainage jargon which would have made sense had the “plan” worked.
In recent times, Residents have resorted to dragging Joe Igbokwe, the Lagos State Governor’s Special Adviser for Drainage and Water Resources, through premium mud. He has been accused of taking Twitter more serious than focusing on his job of clearing the gutters.
Waste Management Agents?
The waste management agencies too are not left out of the wotowoto. If they are on the government’s payroll, they should be held accountable for not doing their jobs.
Lagosians clapped back after they were accused of being the dirty ones and argued that the sanitary officers themselves are losing focus–going about harassing market women instead of regulating sanitation.
#Updated brings you lists, roundups and the latest news on the hottest topics. This edition highlights the four categories of people who may be responsible for the flooding menace in Lagos.
