The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has blamed LASG’s ineptitude in managing canals and other water channels as the root cause of the disastrous floods recorded in the state.
The party made the assertion in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary in the state, Hon. Hakeem Amode to commiserate with families of Friday and Saturday’s flood victims in the state.
Amode describes the floods occasioned by the torrential rainfall that claimed no fewer than seven lives in the state as disheartening.
According to him, the state is situated in a deltaic location and prone to coastal flooding especially on the water canal channels.
“We therefore commiserate with the affected families who have lost persons and properties and with business which have been affected by the flooding.
“It is our greatest wish that the people of the state will express their anger through the ballot boxes in 2023,” he said.
The spokesman noted that the current APC-led government in the state had fail in managing canals and other water channels, which he said had contributed to the current flooding being in the state.
He urged the people to vote in people-oriented government which PDP governorship candidate, Dr Olajide Adediran, promised to provide, in order to salvage the state and bring succour to the people living therein.
Amode advised Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to swing into concrete action at ameliorating effects the torrential rain on the people of Lagos and their commercial activities, “which remain the backbone of the prosperity of the state.”
“One will be forced to ask, for how long do we have to wait for apologies and excuses before a government is prepared and had adequately put in place men and machineries to ensure that Lagos is flood free?
“The devastating effects of the floods is so much that one cannot ignored the affected citizens,” he added.
Amode said that the recent flood disaster led PDP governorship candidate for 2023, Adediran, to set up a relieve response team in all the local governments of the state to assist and support victims.
He said that the state required responsive leader like Adediran, a party such as PDP with it’s people- oriented government to ensure that the impact of torrential rains and climate change does not have adverse effects on the living and lives of people in the state.
“It is not hidden that while citizens of the state groans under the excruciating effects of the flood, the current governor was revelling at a social gathering outside the state.
“Waste management in the state currently remains abysmal and without direction or consistency,” he said.
According to him, Netherlands remains one of the places Lagos can emulate to ensure that adequate preparations are made with respect to waste, canals and coastal management.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday asserted in a statement that the flooding that occurred in Lagos last weekend claimed seven lives.
Zonal Coordinator, South West, NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye said that a post-emergency phase assessment after the unprecedented rainfall of Friday, July 8 and Saturday July 9 revealed that three children of same parent and four adults died in the flood.
