The Ogun State government has issued a stern warning to owners of houses illegally constructed on drainage channels throughout the state. The government has marked these structures for demolition due to their obstruction of wastewater flow. Owners have been given the choice to voluntarily remove these buildings or have the state carry out the removal on their behalf, with the associated costs to be borne by the property owners.
The warning was delivered by the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, during an assessment of the impact of urban flooding in the Ikenne Local Government Area. Oresanya stressed that property owners who have been duly notified and provided with ultimatums should take immediate action to comply. Failure to do so will result in penalties and possible legal action for contravening state environmental laws.
Oresanya emphasized that the state government is committed to upholding the ultimatums and environmental laws that prohibit construction on floodplains. He added, “Any house owner that fails to comply with these directives by allowing his or her wastewater to flow onto the roads will be penalized as the state and the local authorities will not watch them drain their wastewater directly into the road, thereby destroying the road infrastructure.”
The Commissioner expressed the government’s determination to protect road infrastructure investments made with taxpayers’ money. He urged residents to refrain from practices that damage these roads and announced plans to upgrade drainage systems in line with new flood realities both in Nigeria and globally.
Furthermore, Oresanya encouraged house owners who may be affected by new drainage alignments with legitimate approvals to seek compensation, as the state government is dedicated to implementing its new drainage master plan.