LAGOS — Sunday’s heavy rainfall, which crippled Lagos State, has forced Governor Babatunde Fashola to declare Monday a public holiday.

Vehicular and human movements, including commercial activities in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub were paralysed.
The rain, which started at about 5am in most parts of the state, lasted till late into the night, flooding homes and roads across the state.

The roads were rendered impassable, while residents in some areas struggled to salvage their household items from the flood. In Jakande Estate, flood swept cars and buses.

Flood : Apapa/Oshodi Expressway flooded due to heavy down pour thereby causing traffic buildups for motorists. Photo by Sylva Eleanya

Reacting to the flood, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, advised residents not to panic, noting that the flood will soon recede.


Opeifa noted that the state government was taking steps to avert a possible disaster in parts of the state where the situation is critical.

Similarly, Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, pleaded with Lagosians to be patient with the state government, saying the rain was exceptionally heavy and prolonged.

He said: “Dear Lago-sians, please bear with us. Today’s downpour has been heavier than normal as the state government had earlier warned. It has been raining since 5am in many areas and it hasn’t stopped.

“The water level had risen incredibly and the channels that were meant to discharge water from the roads and drainages are completely blocked because of the high tide and because the Atlantic Ocean and Lagoon that receive water from our channels have risen more than usual.”

Areas worst affected were the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Egbeda, Agege, Ojo, Ipaja-Ayobo, Igando, Orile as well as Ahmadu Bello Way and part of Adeola Odeku Street on Victoria Island. Also affected was part of Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, especially the round-about linking Oba Akran Way, among others.

The flood was serious on Lagos-Badagry Expressway, particularly opposite the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, where motorists were seen wading through flood waters which covered houses and cars. The development resulted in heavy traffic jam.

It was a similar situation at the U-turn close to Abule-Ado Bus Stop, where flood took over the road stretching towards the access road to Satellite Town from the Badagry expressway.

Passengers were also left stranded at bus stops as there were few commercial buses on the road, yesterday. Most of communters were seen taking shelter at Alakija bus stop shed and rushed at intervals to board buses.

On Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, it was a traumatic situation for motorists, especially near Mile 2 where the drainage system had completely failed leading to heavy flooding on the expressway.

Several vehicles, especially smaller cars, were stucked in the water further compounding the traffic situation. Vehicles found it difficult to maneuver their way through the murky flood.

Officials of companies located close to Mile 2, whose premises were submerged, battled to salvage their businesses by channeling the water to the express road using pumping machines.

On Ahmadu Bello/Adeola Odeku turning on Victoria Island, vehicles were seen wading through the water leading to traffic jam which stretched towards Bonny Camp. Part of the Ahmadu Bello opposite the popular Lagos Bar Beach was also submerged.

The fence of two houses collapsed, causing serious damage to an SUV in Olowokere and Church streets in the Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area, even as residents of four other streets (Alhaja Mama, Akin Olugbade, Bilesanmi and Jemi Alade streets) have all evacuated in order to avoid another disaster.

Two people have lost their lives in the last two weeks in the area. A 16-year-old boy, Segun was rescued by residents last week from drowning.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/lagos-flood-fashola-declares-monday-public-holiday-2/

Really!!!

Why? Because you people have being building below the water-table for ages?

Does everything have to be used for an ethnic agenda?

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

Se o ngbo? Na Fashola be Mami-Water (or Papi-Water) wey bring the rain?

Tomorrow's traffic will be HELL

it wasnt this bad before- are the floods getting worse every year and something needs to be done to decongest lagos.

@ sun of god

fashola has done the right thing by asking people to stay put where they are.

overseas, similar measures are effected when thess kinds of conditions happen.

eg too much snow, flood warnings, etc.

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

Ogbeni you dey high abi.

What nigerian politician would voluntarily retire

nevertheless for flooding

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

That's the right thing to say. I told people during the election 2011 that Fashola has noting more to offer to Lagos than to go to the bank.

tpia@:

it wasnt this bad before- are the floods getting worse every year and something needs to be done to decongest lagos.

Climate change is real !
Unfortunately, the countries that contribute the least, suffer the most.

tpia@:

it wasnt this bad before- are the floods getting worse every year and something needs to be done to decongest lagos.

I'd rather think Lagos is having it share of the implications of global climatic change, aggravated by poor human factor in the metropolis. Note also that flood killed 8 people in northern state of Katsina.
De-congesting Lagos is a good option if they can partner with neighboring states because i don't see Lagos raising the type of fund required to sustain it under current circumstances and population.

So sad, The ministry of enviroment should swing into action, by clearing the drains n lagosian should stop disposing there gabbage in the drains.

This freedom of speech thingy is turning a lot of nigerians into non-thinkers. Wouldnt it be worse off if these 2 or 3 canals  constructed by fashola were not there? Every house in my estate come out every environmental day to rake out our drainage. Thats not total but its a step. TEAM= Together Everyone Achieves More. . . There will be more rain come next year, and do you know why? Global warming! So stop cursing the darkness and light a candle. O.k?

tpia@:

@ sun of god

fashola has done the right thing by asking people to stay put where they are.

overseas, similar measures are effected when thess kinds of conditions happen.

eg too much snow, flood warnings, etc.

Oversea's they practice 'Disaster Planning'

Fashola has proven himself to be 'Planless' and he should pay the price for his ineptitude and lack of forsight.

'The Buck Stops With Fashola - His Head Needs To Roll'

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

slowpoke, u no go skull abi. na fashola bring rain,any small thing na fashola una dey blame FOOL.

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

i wonder what the feeling of hopelessness that will envelope nigeria if fashola resigns. whatever happened to the saying that half a loaf is better than none. There are just some never-do-wells who can't offer anything to their country and will do their utmost to ensure that others don't do same. What have you achieved in your life? I can bet that you have never as much as held a class monitor position. If you can't encourage courageous people, shut that dustbin of a mouth! I can bet you're one of those who went to welcome OGD back at the airport last month. FOOL!!

Sun of god:

Oversea's they practice 'Disaster Planning'

Fashola has proven himself to be 'Planless' and he should pay the price for his ineptitude and lack of forsight.

'The Buck Stops With Fashola - His Head Needs To Roll'

Oversea ko,undersea ni ! So you expect him to provide canoe or speed boat to take all affected children to take them to school ? Holiday or no holiday,no reasonable parent will allow his or her child to face that kind of situation even when it's still raining on monday !

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

you most be high on taba is it Fashola that tell you to be dumping your garbage inside gutter? na Fashola make rainfall you need to take some indocide

i think its high time they turned the streets of Lagos to Rice farms

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

Lagos is going to start look like Venice by the time Fashola's tenure is over.

Ezeuche, And this is Fashola's fault because wetin?

they will die in the water in their bedroom singing praises of fashola.

they are all asslickers

Fashola ignored SOS calls some residents of Adetola Street Aguda Surulere towards coker sent to his office on the submerging Adetola street towards Coker and some houses around the area. Promises were made that the commissioner for environment would desptach people to the area to assess the flooding and arrest the problem. But nothing was done until this heavy down pour of yesterday and today. Now the entire place is a big shame to the government. it is impassable for vehicles not to talk of humans. Some residents especially office workers whose houses and compounds have become river niger are relocating. What manner of govt will ignore SOS call of its citizens? Lagosians, please tell fashola and his commissioner for environment to construct drainage at Adetola towards coker as there is completely none and repair some portion of the road flood has damaged.

hbrednic:

they are all asslickers

sammirano:

they will die in the water in their bedroom singing praises of fashola.

Sun of god:

Fashola - Tender Your Resignation

You are all sick idiots, extremely dumb. Your statement shows your brains will be too small to fit into an ampiclox capsule and each of you definitely have the IQ of a brick.

I'm no longer following the topic so don't even bother to reply

I guess lagosan should ban d use of cars and start using boat & canoe.

M M M:

I guess lagosan should ban d use of cars and start using boat & canoe.

That will help Ijaw businesses. . .