Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state has condemned criticisms on the role of Eko Atlantic City in the Kuramo ocean surge, saying “such statements show their poor knowledge of history and geography.”

The Kuramo ocean surge, which occurred , penultimate Saturday, claimed 16 lives while five bodies were still missing.

Fashola, who spoke Saturday during an inspection tour of the ongoing works at the Kuramo Beach, Victoria Island, said such comments showed the limitation of critics’ thinking.

According to him, “The only thing that has surprised me is that they showed very poor knowledge of geography and history that ordinary student in climate change clubs in our schools now know. It is a shame that their history and geography knowledge is not only poor but they have also gone ahead to demonstrated it publicly.”

The governor went on: “This is because the issue here is an environmental challenge. And, as a state government, we have to be innovative and courageous about it in order to deal with it.

“Our world in changing and it is only those who want to be cut off by the change that would be pretending. Residents of Lagos State must try to understand that it is a world challenge and Lagos State is not left out”.

The governor recalled that before the commencement of the Eko Atlantic City project, many roads and property were already damaged by the consistent ocean surge from the Bar Beach.

“Before the Eko Atlantic city project started, the Modupe Oshikoya Road was already damaged by the consistent cases of ocean surge from the Bar Beach.”

He noted that since the commencement of the project, the story has changed in the axis of the state, adding: “Now we can drive through the roads on the Island which is the financial heart of the country today. That is what the Eko Atlantic City project has done.”

The governor continued “The Eko Atlantic city has solve the problem of ocean surge in the Bar beach area. And it has now manifested itself in this area (Kuramo). So what is left for us now is that we have to extend our work down to this axis up to the Alpha Beach, so that we can protect the entire property within this axis”