Residents of Badagry, Lagos State, have appealed to the state government to complete the abandoned Samuel Ekundayo/Toga road project to perennial flooding ravaging their communities.
Some of the residents told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry on Friday that the drainage system was blocked, thus obstructing the free flow of water, thereby causing flooding.
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Mr Sanni Rilwan, a resident of the area and Coordinator of Concerned Forum, said that flood was washing away their property due to the abandoned drainage and road project.
“Nobody in the community is saved from the flood, our women cannot go to the market while children were prevented from going to Schools.
“We want the government to help us channel the water from the drainage to the rivers because our community is now surrounded by floodwater due to the continuous downpour.”
Flood ravaged building in Itoga, Badagry.
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Mr Dele Ibrahim, General Secretary, Alafia Community Development Association/Concerned Forum in Itoga Road, said the community was happy when the construction started, “we thought our suffering has ended.
“We are full of joy, we thought our suffering on the road is over, after constructing the drainage in some area, the contractor stopped work and took their equipment away.
“Our joy was shortlived when the rain started and the flood did not have access to the river.
“It ravaged our houses, churches and farmlands, even our people that went out returned to meet their property washed away.
“We cannot open our shops to sell things nor do any reasonable thing for now because we can hardly move about.
“Government should please call on the contractors working on the road to start work again, we have seen the worst and we do not want the government to abandon us this way.”
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Pastor Emmanuel Wheto, a resident of Itoga area, urged the government to order the contractor handling the project to first work on how to channel water from the drainage to rivers.
He said this would save the community from the flood.
