The Lagos State Government on Thursday, issued an extended vacation notice to all residents and owners of structures on the Ikota River setback to remove all valuables as the state commenced the poking of fences on the setback.

The additional notice, which was sequel to passionate pleas from some of the residents, followed the expiration of all mandatory contravention notices served on the properties to restore the drainage right of way along the Ikota River.

Speaking with Journalists after an inspection tour to the affected areas, cutting across Oral, Westend and Parts of Megamound Estates in Lekki, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the removal of all contravening structures would 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 the Government 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 the Government has 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.

According to him, "We have said to our officials, let us 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 a signal of our readiness to restore the Right of Way.

At Oral Estate, the Commissioner 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.

“Government is here today with machines to poke all the walls and then push them back from further encroachment. At Lekki County here, what some developers are doing is reclamation, and government needs to put them in check; If you are doing a reclamation, the first thing you have to obtain is Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) and Drainage Clearance documents, and most of them do not have it", he said.

He said the EIA process would ensure that the reclamation does not extend beyond the drainage alignment and the discharge of stormwater does not affect the ecosystem before the EIA document is issued.

He directed that the reclamation ongoing at Lekki County should stop because those doing it have sand-filled and pushed beyond the limits into the right of way.

The Commissioner noted that in Oral Estate, about 18 Units were affected, 13 in Lekki County and eight units in Westend Estate, adding that only those lying within the River Ikota will be removed.

According to him, "Homeowners affected are not disputing the fact that something is wrong, they have all admitted, but they are appealing to the government to give them time to find a way to reset themselves".

Wahab said the Government will not put money before humanity, stressing that developers are all about their selfish interest, not minding the pain that people go through.

The Commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi- Akodu, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; LASWMO’s GM, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi and other Directors from the Ministry and its Agencies.

Places visited include Oral Estate, Lekki County Estate, Megamounds Estate and WestEnd Estate, all in Lekki.