1st September, 2010
The Lagos State government says it would not seek the assistance of spiritualists in its bid to curb the ocean surge that is expected to happen in November.
The State Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure, Mr. Segun Oniru , while alerting Lagosians on the expected rise in sea level yesterday, said he understood more of such spiritual practices as he was born into a family that patronised them.
He, however, said that the surge of the ocean and its resultant washing away of some parts of the state had been on since the 1950s, thus indicating that the situation was beyond the powers of the witch doctors.
Some spiritual diviners in the state had earlier attributed the surge to some spiritual forces within the ocean and had said they had the power to appease the water gods.
However, when asked if the state would look in that direction, Mr. Oniru said. “I come from a background of family that also carry out these spiritual things but all I can say to you today is that the erosion of Bar Beach has been taking place since the mid 1950s and was only stopped few years ago by the permanent solution we put on the Beach, so I leave the rest to your imagination.â€
Though he said the information was not intended to cause panic, he however informed residents of the state to be ready for the surge.
He said internationally, ocean surge was causing grave problems.
“Lagos is on a flat plane in which water ingress into our State is something that would occur now and then, but the permanent solution that we have put in place at the Lagos Bar Beach and the ongoing Eko Atlantic City project have gone a long way to protect Victoria Island and Lagos State from
—Eromosele Ebhomele