Lagos Approves Creation of Tertiary Drainage Squad in 57 LCDAs

The Lagos State Government has approved the creation of Tertiary Drains Squad in all the 57 local council development areas (LCDAs) of the state.

Mr Joe Igbokwe, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Drainage and Water Resources, made this known in Ikeja during the second edition of stakeholders’ meeting with representatives of LG/LCDAs on cleaning and maintenance of tertiary drains in the state.

Igbokwe disclosed that the squad would complement the effort of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang already in existence at the state level, to ensure that tertiary drains properly discharge into primary and secondary drains.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Drainage and Water Resources tasked the council authorities to think big but start small with the employment of 50 drainage attendants that would be paid a minimum of N35, 000 monthly.

He explained that the councils will spend less but achieve more, compared to what they currently spend to clean tertiary drains.

Igbokwe posited that there was no straight jacket approach to implementing the directives of the governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as each council must adopt the strategy that suited it.

The stakeholders meeting was one of the proactive measures, he said that was put in place to have synergy between the state and local governments, in terms of interdependence as it affected drainage channels.

He noted that it was high time that LG/LCDAs took ownership of tertiary drains, to reduce the pressure of desilting and cleaning of the secondary and primary channels, where the state government had continued to engage human and financial resources.

“I am confident that this second forum will afford us the opportunity to agree on best practices to resolve all the issues concerning the cleaning and maintenance of tertiary drains.

“It will also resolve which drains that run across our tenements, and how local councils should be at the forefront of monitoring and compelling residents to clean the tertiary drains across the State,” Igbokwe added.

He highlighted that the meeting was designed to sensitise local governments, its administrators, relevant stakeholders to map out a new course on cleaning tertiary drains, proffer solutions to foreseeable challenges as well as to evolve strategic methods to improve the environment and ensure a flood-free society.

The special adviser listed such stakeholders to include the council engineers, heads of the environment and council managers, among others.

He also applauded the efforts of the EFAGs created by the state government and deployed to undertake quick fix to free manholes or clogged up tertiary drains across the state.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Mr Lekan Shodeinde, announced that the time had come for Local Governments to take up their constitutional roles of tertiary drainage maintenance across the state.

Shodeinde noted that all hands must be on deck, as the present administration was determined to ensure a flood-free Lagos, in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.

He warned that there should be no excuse of inhibitions from political leaders in the discharge of their duties, as far as such projects and intentions were well laid out.

The Permanent Secretary pointed out that the state drainage engineers and coordinators were available in all the 57 LGs and LCDAs, to complement the efforts of LGs with the maintenance and cleaning of tertiary drains at all times.

Shodeinde charged the residents to always report cases of drainage blockage, indiscriminate dumping of waste into canals and other unauthorised places to the government, through the CITIMONITOR APP available on Google Play and App Store.

The President, Heads of Sanitation in Local Governments, Dr. Samuel Akingbehin, revealed that such meetings would in future involve the Physical Planning authorities as a result of the many infractions by people across the state.