ears of Aboru dwellers
Devastated by nature, ravaged by criminals and abandoned by the authorities, residents of Lagos
community say they have become an endangered species, reports WOLE BALOGUN
By SEYE OJO
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Submerged houe
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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They live like paupers in their fatherland. Yet they are bona fide, law-abiding citizens of Nigeria. Their only sin is that they are resident at Aboru, a sprawling community in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Recent checks by Daily Sun revealed shocking details of the wretched life daily lived by hundreds of thousands of Aboru residents.

Aboru’s woes, some claim, are man-made. Man-made because much of their problems are caused by lack of good drainage system, exploitation of natural resources in the area and poorly erected buildings, among others.

Many years ago, sand traders had exploited the town, ridding it of all the sand that would have left its topography normal like every other place. Consequently, a major part of the community has been devastated by gully erosion; that makes it vulnerable to flooding whenever it rains.

While many Lagosians live in well-built, ventilated and barricaded homes, 99 per cent of Aboru residents live in shanties, easily assailed by the element like wind, sun, and rain. Petty thieves as well as robbers easily prey on the unfortunate people, living in the ramshackle buildings.
Worse still, government officials hardly get to the place during periodic inspections of communities because it is almost lost in the far end of Alimosho. Thus, Aboru’s gullies and other problems are totally shut out from government.

A first time caller could mistake Aboru for a hilly land bonded to its neighbouring towns by a wide-threatening canal. But further checks would reveal that Aboru is a remote town situated in a valley in Alimosho. The inhabitants of this part are usually the worst hit whenever there is flooding or other natural disasters.
Even when there is no rain, Aboru remains a lost island. Mosquitoes building their larvae in still waters, maggots, cockroaches, insects and other parasites hold sway in the area as residents squat and huddle together in rooms not spacious enough to accommodate half of their occupants.

Pitiable sights of children afflicted with kwashiorkor, gaunt-looking old ones, idling away and hungry looking middle-aged folks as well as youths, lamenting the poor, irritating state of their environment, are common features that shock callers to Aboru. The flood that ravaged Aboru on July 29 brought untold grief to the people as tears flowed down the faces of many. Thousands became homeless and many more were bereaved.

Chief Salami Bamgbopa, the paramount ruler of Aboru, told Daily Sun: “The calamity that daily befall my people is unbearable. The recent flood caused untold havoc. We have had to bury many, who lost their lives in the flood. Others got drowned and were not found. Those who narrowly survived dying in the flood lost property, and many have become homeless. This is not the first time we are experiencing this, but it is the worst so far. It is only the government that can help us now.”

One of Chief Bamgbopa’s sons, who also lamented the woes that usually befall Aboru residents, said: “The flood of that day could only be compared to what happened during Noah's time. Many houses were destroyed. In fact, we just buried a man beside the canal after we found his body there a few days after the flood. A high chief of this community lost his house to the flood. He and his wife and children had to jump through the window of the house when they discovered it was going to collapse.
“To save themselves from death, many had to jump through the windows or rooftops of their houses to escape as others fled the town, abandoning their homes. Those who lost their homes and had no clothes were left at the mercy of neighbours and churches, who contributed clothes for them.

“We even lost count of the number of children that were lost to the flood. It is so painful. The major cause of the flood is the canal that runs from Abattoir in Agege through this town to Command area of Alagbado. It was well dug and cemented from Abbatoir but from Alabede, an entrance to this town, the canal is so shallow that when the rain gets too heavy it leads to flood and brings pain to us.”
Mrs. Agbodade, wife of a prominent community leader and High Chief Akogun of Aboru, Chief Kehinde Agboade, who lost his house and property to the flood, told Daily Sun how her family became homeless.

Said she: “July 10 will forever remain in our memory for the wrong reason. The rain had begun about 10am and it was like a play when it continued till evening when the flood came calling. By that time people were already leaving their houses and moving up to the hilly side. Many who did not realise the danger, lurking around and who stayed a little while had to sacrifice their lives and their children’s. So many things were lost to the flood. Although many survived by passing through their windows and rooftops, a lot of people lost their lives.

At Emmanuel Aina, Street, more than six people got drowned and at Alabe Okunola, not less than 15 lives were lost. A case in particular that was so pathetic was of a certain woman, named Iya Ibeju, who lost one of her teenage children. Her relatives have since admitted her at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) since she went into coma after watching her child drown in the flood.
“It is more appalling that days later, we found dead bodies brought to the shore by the water. Many of us have been forced to be sleeping in the houses of relatives, friends and neighbours since we lost our homes.”

“Another painful thing is that Aboru’s CDA has gone to lodge complaints at the Government House in Alausa on countless occasions but nothing has happened. All we get is visitation by some people who usually say they are from the government. They would interview us and take our photographs like you are doing now. And that will be all.
“The only solution to the problem is for the government to dig the canal that runs from Abattoir in Agege. If only they could do the canal the way it was done in Agege, things would be better for us.”

Alhaji Jamiu Iwapele, a resident of Aboru, whose house was also affected by the flood, shed tears as he told his story to Daily Sun. Said he: “It appeared the government has abandoned us here. Everything that those other people you interviewed told you has been reported to all the government officials who have been here. Our community development executives have visited Alausa secretariat times without number but the government has taken no meaningful action. The most painful thing is that this is not something that we can do because we are too poor to handle it. It is just for the government to help dig the canal through which this water floods our area. They should sand-fill the gully and help in building some of our shanties.

The canal is the one that runs from Abattoir in Agege through Ipaja and Aboru here to command area in Alagbado. From Alabede, which is the entrance to Aboru through Iyana-Ipaja, the canal was not well dug. It is so shallow and not cemented and that is why the water that escapes from Agege, Agbotikuyo, Abbattoir, Iyana-Ipaja and environs rushs down here to settle, turning this place into a big reservoir.”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/aug/23/national-23-08-2011-0015.html

I feel really sad about these guys plight. The Lagos state government should do something about this.