The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Mr Allwell Onyesoh, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, for their quick response to the recent flooding challenges allegedly attributed to the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. The lawmaker gave the commendation during an inspection tour of the coastal road project carried out by the minister, members of the National Assembly, and other critical stakeholders on Monday evening. Onyesoh noted that the minister had earlier in the day organized a stakeholders’ meeting in a deliberate effort to evaluate and find sustainable solutions to the flooding concerns. Furthermore, the minister directed the immediate deployment of 40 youths who would be responsible for monitoring the highway corridor against vandalism and improper use.
Reflecting on an expert briefing delivered earlier in the day, Onyesoh explained that geographic and historical elements are primarily responsible for the city's drainage patterns. He noted, “We sat through a seminar, what I would call a seminar with diagrams where experts linked everything about Lagos, the geographical position, behavioural pattern of the weather around Lagos, and so on.” The senator emphasized that the environmental situation long predates the current road project, stating, “This flooding of Lagos did not begin today; it dates back to the days of the white men, so what we are seeing today is not new,” He argued that the infrastructure project could not be blamed for the water accumulation along the corridor, adding, “Even where we are standing, we can see flood water moving. The water is moving from the ocean to this way, which means even without the coastal road, the water will still move this way,” He added that flooding is a global phenomenon rather than a situation peculiar to Nigeria, telling the minister, “Minister, I am not surprised that you are doing your best, and I will tell you the truth: I am impressed. Your response is timely.”
In a similar vein, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Mr Akin Alabi, praised the president and the minister for their timely responses to the environmental issue. Alabi advocate for responsible journalism across all media platforms, emphasizing the absolute need for public commentators to publish only verified information. He stated, ”Any journalist, anyone that has an audience, even social media influencers, I want you to have a responsibility to your audience because people believe you.” The representative cautioned against making broad assumptions regarding structural projects without proper consultation, stating, “It is easy to say the cause of the flooding is the coastal road, but always consult experts before you make broad assumptions,”
Also speaking during the site inspection, the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, lauded the proactive steps taken by Tinubu and Umahi. Nwaebonyi stated that the legislative delegation found no evidence connecting the road design to the drainage issues. He noted, “We have seen, as a parliament, that the coastal highway is not in any way the cause of flooding in this part of Lagos, and going by history, flooding in Lagos is as old as the city itself.” To control the situation, the principal officer recommended total compliance with technical assessments, stating, “What should be done is to listen to the advice of environmental impact experts to see how this flooding can be controlled in collaboration with the Lagos State Government.” He urged the public to protect critical channels, adding, ”I want to advise Lagosians and everybody living around this area to take into account the advice of environmental experts by making sure that he doesn’t block the drainage channels, the waterway.” Nwaebonyi called on the Environmental Department of the Lagos State Government to ensure all waterways are thoroughly cleared, attributing the issue to human habits, and concluded, ”I want to assure Nigerians that the minister is capable of solving all infrastructure problems facing Nigeria.”
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