Despite Early War With unpacked, littered and blocked drainages across parts of Lagos, most residents didn’t do much to prevent adverse effects of the July 3,2024 rains despite early warnings which caused destruction in properties and setbacks to commercial activities
Wednesday’s rain validated the Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( NiMet)’s earlier warning that the rain would increase in frequency and intensity in July thereby confirming fears in some quarters of more downpours in days to come
The rain which started at midnight and ended at the close of the day was a good luck to some and bad luck to others.
No one was spared, from the small, medium and large business owners, it held Lagos on a spot from different directions as reports show submerged properties in Lekki Ajah axis causing massive destruction to cars and other valuables.
The story was not different in the Ojo and Badagry areas visited by our reporter as respondents spoke on how the rain affected their source of livelihood
Olajumoke Habibat , a Point of Sales (POS) operator at Oshodi market told JournalNG that her business was affected as the number of patronage she had on daily basis reduced.
” I have not had customers as I always do on a normal day.People did not really come out because of the rain.I hope the rain will stop soon so that I can have more customers”.
Another person who lives in Mushin and doesn’t want her name in print was negatively affected by the rain.She said the flood had flown into her apartment and destroyed her properties.
” When this rain started in the midnight, I thought it will end soon.It continued increasing and before I knew what was happening, water had entered into my apartment.My bed is soaked and some other things have been destroyed too.My neighbour’s chairs were floating when he came back from work this morning because he was on night duty.The government should provide proper drainage system to avoid situations like this”
At Iyanaba, Ojo, there was so much flood that some people had to walk through water.Some boys in the area took advantage of the situation to make money.They helped commuters to cross the water by carrying them on their backs and collected N100 or N200 for the trip.
Nuhu Abdullahi told JournalNG that the rain brought good luck to him as he has been carrying people on his back to cross the water.
” I don’t really have a source of livelihood.I take advantage of situations like this to make money.I have made a lot of money and I hope to make more”
Mrs Sulaiman , a trader along Iyanaba road said people have to be very careful while walking through the flood on the roads because some places look shallow but dangerous to walk in.
” People should be extra careful while walking through the flood because there are some places that are very deep and when stepped into, one can be carried away.Some places are deep drainages but looks passable.In times like this, people should walk with caution ”
On the contrary, Richard Fasinu a resident of Badagry wrote on his Facebook page that ” You will appreciate Badagry this time.The rain, no matter how terrible will not consume you as other parts of Lagos ”
In response to his post, Babatunde Ajose said” I have never envied or desired that the urban slum called Lekki as my place of abode.Yes, I have a couple of properties on that corridor but I can NEVER live there.On just one road , we have over 300 estates and beaches, world biggest single line refinery, Lekki Airport,Lekki Seaport,Lekki Free Trade Zone and the only road to an emerging city of Epe.In the civilized world, Lekki land should be the cheapest but we think anticlockwise here.Let us wait for another 20 years and we would all see the implosion on Lekki corridor ”
Sewanu Michael also responded saying”
Honestly, congestion will swallow some people.What Badagry should be doing right now is to avert Lekki scenario in the future is to make local laws that will guide occupants on creation of standard layouts and drainages.The current topography of Badagry may be similar to those on the Island if these measures are not put in place to avert the same here ” he wrote.
