By John Ogunsemore
The Lagos State Government has said the full enforcement of removal of stalls/shanties under Apongbon Bridge and on the setback of the Savage/Elegbata/Bombata drainage channel on Lagos Island will commence on Tuesday.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab made this known on Sunday while speaking with newsmen at Ebute-Ero after an inspection tour of the Savage/Elegbata Bombata Drainage channel around the Olowogbowo/Apongbon axis in Lagos Island.
He said the government would remove all the shanties impeding drainage channels in the best interest of all residents following the expiration of the 48-hour quit notice issued to the stall owners/traders last week.
The commissioner explained that the state officials repeated the tour to ascertain the level of compliance by stall owners/traders operating on drainage channels/setbacks with the quit notice issued to them, recalling that last week during an inspection tour, it was observed that the setback of the two critical drainage collectors which are Bombata/Olusi and the Alagbafo collector have been converted into shops/stalls thereby causing the total blockage of the collectors.
“We came to ascertain the level of compliance concerning the abatement notices served on Thursday to ensure that statutorily we have fulfilled what is required according to the law and this will be followed by enforcement activities on Tuesday,” he said.
Wahab said the enforcement activities would include the removal of any extension that impedes public infrastructure within the drainage channels, emphasising that any building not erected on drainage alignments would not be touched.
He added that to prevent the stall owners from returning to the cleared setbacks, the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency (LASPARK) would take over the space immediately for sustenance and beautification