Lagos Recruits Drainage Maintenance Officers

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The Lagos State Government has appointed Drainage Maintenance Officers (DMO) in all local governments to ensure maintenance, clearing and dredging of drainages in the state.

This was revealed by the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello during inspection of drainage channels in Mushin, Itire-Ikate, Coker-Aguda and Surulere areas in preparation for this year’s rainfall.

Bello noted that the DMOs for every local government would regularly liaise with the local government chairman, council engineers, community development associations and resident associations to address issues on cleaning and general maintenance of drainage.

“The DMO’s role is not just to respond to issues but to also pre-empt them, so that we would not wait until there are problems before we act. He is also to go around regularly, get acquainted with the community and its people, hold meetings with them and regularly visit the channels in his area of operation to ensure that they are kept flowing,” he said.

He explained that the state government was determined to achieve a flood-free Lagos through many proactive measures which included the introduction of the DMOs, all-year-round cleaning of drainages and dredging of canals in all parts of the state.

On the success of the state’s efforts, Bello remarked that through massive cleaning of drains and dredging of canals, government had ensure a satisfactory level of preparedness for the rain by keeping drains and channels in the state flowing.

He urged Lagosians to play their part in ensuring a flood-free state by monitoring and cleaning the drains in their respective houses.

“People, especially traders should desist from dumping wastes in the channels and monitor and clean the drains. That we are here to inspect these channels on Saturday underscores government’s seriousness about the welfare of the people,” he added.

At the Alamutu drainage channel, Idi-Oro, Mushin, the commissioner was pissed off when he saw the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drain by market men and women. He warned the traders that if they continued dumping refuse in the drainage channel, he would shut down the market for three months.

The Bishop-Fashoro collector drain, also in Mushin was filled with refuse dumped indiscriminately by residents in the area.

According to Bello, the maintenance of the collector drain would deflood Bishop, Fashoro, Odejayi, Ramond and other adjoining streets into Kobiti Channel.

He said the scope of work on the drain included cleaning the drain through excavation of silt, cutting and clearing of all vegetal and carting away of all excavated materials, among others.

Other collector drains visited are the Ogunmokun drain, dredging of Oladeinde-Oshogbo-Pako Aguda- Sanya-Coker

—Kazeem Ugbodaga

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