12th April, 2013
Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial and industrial hub, is expecting between 249 days and 275 days of rains this year, Mr Tunji Bello, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, has said.
Bello announced this on Friday in Lagos at a media briefing to mark the second year of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s second term in office.
He said the rains will not cease until 17 December
“In order to improve on de-flooding the state, the ministry has employed over 7,800 people in its ongoing construction and dredging works across the state.
“The ministry is constructing and dredging 37 drainage channels with a construction strategy geared towards facilitating free flow of water. The construction and dredging translate to a total length of 40.82 km and cut across 13 local government areas and local council development areas in the state,’’ Bello said.
He appealed to residents of the state to clear their drains, and said that the ministry was committed to the maintenance of the existing drainage channels across the state and the construction of more.
“Government’s determination to de-flood the state is every Lagosian’s responsibility and as such all hands should be on deck in order to record a huge success this year,’’ he said.
On the non-availability of LAWMA bins at some major points in the state, the commissioner attributed it to insecurity and the non-compliance attitude of the people.
“It will surprise you to know that some people do not pay their LAWMA levies and it is a general problem. We must all put in a conscious effort to have a clean environment,’’ he said.
Bello, however, appealed to the residents to complement the ministry’s efforts by having a change of attitude by disposing their refuse properly.