19th May, 2011
The Lagos State Government will anytime from June stop taking care of the victims of last year’s flood disaster which occurred in the Ajegunle area of Ikorodu.
They are currently being camped at Agbowa Relief Camp.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Tola Kasali, announced this on Wednesday during a question-and answer-session after presenting the ministry’s stewardship for 2010.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that 1,019 of the flood victims were still at the camp.
“We are now preparing a disengagement plan for the victims who have been at the Relief Camp, Agbowa since Oct. 11, 2010.
“The ministry is recommending to the state government a disengagement plan with effect from June or July,†Kasali said.
The commissioner said that the ministry could not implement the disengagement plan immediately because most of the victims’ children were attending school in Agbowa town.
Kasali assured the victims and their landlords that the state government was working on providing permanent homes for the displaced people.
“We intend to build some houses for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their landlords, under a special scheme to be funded by the state government.
“Until that is done, it may be difficult for us to demolish structures in the area and send the landlords that have remained in Ajegunle flood zone packing,†he said.
Kasali also said that the state government planned to build two additional relief camps to complement that in Agbowa.
“We plan to turn the present permanent NYSC camp at Igando to either a relief camp or a housing estate for the Lagos West Senatorial District.
“The second one would be built in either Apapa or Eti Osa in Lagos Central Senatorial District,†he said.