Residents and motorists in several parts of Lagos and Ogun states were on Sunday left stranded due to the hours of intense rain, with major roads overrun by floods.
Our correspondents who visited Agege, Akowonjo, and Egbeda areas in Lagos and Mayegun junction area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Akute, Lotto, Pakuro, Ijere, and others in Ogun State observed motorists and residents stranded for hours as a result of the downpour.
Our correspondents report that the entire road was overrun by waters at the Mobil area in the Agege region of Lagos State, making it impossible for drivers to travel through the flooded area to reach their respective destinations.
Also, commuters and motorists had a hectic time plying the Egbeda-Ikotun road as floods overran the Baba Oba and Car Wash ends of the road. This also resulted in traffic congestion along the area as the vehicles drove slowly through the flooded section of the road.
The traffic snarl was seen building up gradually as the vehicles, at some point, maintained a single lane to avoid falling into a gully. It was also a similar experience in the Akowonjo area, as the water covered the road, which also led to a slow movement of vehicles.
Residents and road users, however, lamented over the development while describing it as a regular sight during the rainy season.
One of the commuters, Grace Ayinde, said, “Flooding is a regular occurrence in this area. Whenever it rains, economic activities will be grounded because some of the water will spread into people’s shops. Customers also stay away from this part of the area because there is no way they can access the businesses around here.”
A commuter who preferred to be identified simply as Tayo said the ongoing construction of a drainage system along the flooded parts of the area had yet to be completed.
He said, “What we witnessed today in terms of flooding is just little compared to what we will experience in the coming weeks because the rainy season is here already. As you can see, traffic is already building up due to the flood. We complained about the flooding, and the government started to work on the drainage, but the work has stopped halfway. There is no sign that it will be completed anytime soon.”
Meanwhile, similar accounts were reported at Lotto, Pakuro, Ijere, and several other communities where residents attributed the flooding to poor drainage, thereby demanding action from local officials who they claimed failed to respond to their complaints.
Speaking to one of the residents, who simply identified herself as Mrs Ogechi, our correspondent learnt that the roads were in fair condition before going to church, but they couldn’t navigate their way because the entire area had been flooded.
She further noted that flooding during the rainy season had become a major problem being encountered by the community while urging those in government to promptly intervene.
She said, “Just look at the area; see everywhere full of water. This keeps happening every time there’s rain. We are tired. I went to church today driving very fine, and now I can’t get back home; everywhere is swampy.”
A business owner in one of the flooded communities, Hammed Lamidi, told our correspondent that the impact of the flood would be felt by the residents, especially business owners, on Monday (today), adding that those going to their workplaces would find it difficult to navigate the roads.
He said, “From Monday, there will be movements as a result of people going to work and businesses; this flood will slow down traffic movements and businesses. A lot of people can’t feel the pain now because they are home resting, but from tomorrow on, their eyes will be open to the pain the flood will cause them.”
When contacted on Sunday, a source in the Ogun State Ministry of Environment who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak for the ministry, told our correspondent that the government had developed a feedback mechanism where residents of flood-prone areas could get the assistance they needed from the government.
The source said, “The thing here is that once the government is aware of a flooding situation, they will find solutions to it. And you know, you cannot be everywhere at the same time. It is easier for people to inform the government when such an incident occurs. Now, we have a feedback mechanism through a programme where people can always phone in to inform the government about their challenges about flooding.”
