Officials of the Lagos State Government have begged residents Olasinmbo and Ibijoke estates of Oregun area of the state to allow mechanics workshop be sited at the setback of the canal in their areas even when it is against the law of the state.
Thegazellenews.com had earlier published on how some officials of the Lagos State Ministries of Transport and Environment and Water Resources have illegally allocated a canal setback at an Oregun community to mechanics as workshop.
The report by this medium led to a flurry of activities by the state government as the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab sent a delegation to do an on-the-spot assessment of the area.
This led to the government inviting representatives of the aggrieved residents for a meeting aimed at finding lasting solution to the matter and settle it amicably.
So on Thursday, 4 April, 2024 a meeting was held at the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. The meeting was sequel to a letter of invitation sent to the residents via their Community Development Association dated Monday, 25 March, 2024.
At the meeting were: five delegates from the mechanics group; one from the palace of the Oregun monarch; the CDA Chairman; the secretary, treasurer, financial secretary and welfare officer of the Ibiyemi Estate Residents Association; and their legal representatives.
From the two affected ministries, there were two representatives from the Ministry of Environment; a director and another staff from the Ministry of Transport. The meeting was chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
By the tone of discussion, thegazellenews.com can confirmed that even the officials of the Lagos State government are ignorant of the laws of the state.
When the meeting commenced, they regaled In their submission and even somehow becoming authoritative over it.
“It’s a standard practice for the state government through the ministries to allocate empty canal setbacks/power lines to mechanics to occupy so as to mitigate encroachment,” one of the officials said.
According to another official, “the government is saddled with finding workshops for mechanics on these setbacks so that the mechanics do not turn the streets to their workshops. Lastly, there is a working relationship between Mechanics and the Ministry of Transportation.
This medium learnt further that even in their ignorance of the law, these officials were arrogant in their presentation.
“The Permanent Secretary was very civil in handling this case but one of the directors in the Drainage Service of the Ministry of Environment displayed such arrogance saying the allocation was not only down in good fate but also that the residents have no say in the matter,” sources told thegazellenews.com
But when the legal representative of the residents informed the government officials that the fact that they have been practicing such in the past does not make it legal, they became silent.
Thegazellenews.com learnt that the lawyers told the officials the 2017 Environmental Laws of Lagos State prohibits allocation of canal setbacks to serve as mechanics village or workshops.
It was after the submission of the lawyer at the meeting that the officials now resorted to begging the residents to allow the mechanics site their workshop on the canal setback.
However, the residents were resolute in their refusal. “We don’t have anything against the mechanics but we just can’t allow the mechanic village to be sited at the canal setback and we have reasons for this,” a member of the residents association told thegazellenews.com.
Part of the reasons and issues raised by the residents are:
(A) Insecurity: the Residents have suffered insecurity along the canal setback, the reason why a barricade was erected. Removal of the barricades and allocating the setback to Mechanics should never take precedence over the security of lives and properties.
(B) Impending damage of the newly constructed road by Hon James Faleke: the mechanics have not contributed to the development of the community in anyway. In fact the road was impassable 7 months ago, where was Ministry of Transportation then when the road was in a deplorable state? It was the Residents, Association that facilitated the construction of the road. It was so disheartening that even and before it was completed, the mechanics got illegal approval from the Ministry set up their workshop.
(C) Environmental degradation: The UN plans to end open defecation by 2025 globally while Lagos State is gearing to be a Smart and World Class City. It’s however shameful that some officials of government are working against the state’s plan. Where will the mechanics be defecating and how will they dispose of their hardware waste? So sad! But this raises concerns of health hazards to the residents. Presently, the mechanics on the canal setback on the other street (Muili; neighboring Community) are defecating openly into the gutters and dumping trash on the street sides and gutters at the adjoining side of our neighborhood.
(D) Noise pollution: the untold hardship that will come with the noise will be unbearable for a residential area.
(E) Flooding: the stretch of canal setback from Morrison to Olusosun that mechanics occupy in the Oregun axis will eventually lead to flooding. The rate at which these people throw waste indiscriminately into the canal itself is worrisome. And the canal has been abandoned without dredging for years now. The crux of their responsibility is left hanging but concerns themselves with illegality.
(F) Reputation damage to the Residents’ Association: after the security gate was removed without due consultation, the mechanics have been singing a victory song for whoever cares to listen. They are even boasting that the estate’s main entry gates would be removed when they move in properly.
These are some of the reasons the residents are against the occupation by the mechanics.
“We don’t have anything against them but you will agree with me that the issues raised above are fundamental and important to our existent as residents in the estate,” an official of the Residents’ Association told our correspondent.
Thegazellenews.com learnt that the meeting could not reach an amicable resolution with the Permanent Secretary still pleading the residents to consider the residents and allow them to stay.
The meeting also encouraged the dissenting voices to meet and deliberate on finding amicable solution to the issue.
However, thegazellenews.com learnt authoritatively that the residents are insisting on taking legal action against the government and a case has been filed already with the government served with the writ of summons.
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