The LASG Thursday issued an extended vacation notice to remove valuables to all residents and owners of structures on the Ikota River setback as the state commenced the poking of fences on the setback.
The additional notice was sequel to passionate pleas from some of the residents following the expiration of all served mandatory contravention notices served on the properties to restore the drainage right of way along the Ikota River.
Speaking with newsmen after an inspection tour to the affected areas, cutting across Oral, Western, and Parts of Megamound Estates in Lekki, HC MOE&WR, Tokunbo Wahab, said the removal of all contravening structures would soon commence to find a lasting solution to flooding issues in the axis.
He said the government had received several complaints, and whilst it was engaging the property owners to find a win-win solution with reduced economic impact on homeowners, some developers have gone ahead to further sandfill and push back the Ikota River.
He added that LASG had a digital footprint of the length and breadth of the river, stressing that the tour was to ascertain the extent of encroachment of the ROW, and what the team experienced was not encouraging.
Wahab said, “We have decided to give some more time to homeowners to relocate their families and their valuables, hence the shift in the date for commencement of the restoration process”.
Also said “We will allow them to move their things out; family men and women with children reside here; So whilst that is ongoing, we poked the walls as signal of our readiness to restore the Right of Way”.
At Oral Estate, Wahab noted that the level of encroachment witnessed cannot be compared to what was on ground last year when the state officials visited, stating that while some residents were engaging government to find lasting solution to rechannel some of the primary alignments and secondary collectors, some developers have went ahead to push back the right of way for the Ikota River.
