Wale Jagun
The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, has ordered the immediate suspension of all ongoing and proposed land reclamation projects across the state, citing severe environmental concerns.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement on Thursday, raised alarm over the rapid spread of unauthorized reclamation works on wetlands, floodplains, and lagoon fronts in high-risk locations such as Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne, Victoria Island Extension, Lekki, Ajah, Oworonshoki, Lagos Mainland, Ikorodu, Ojo, and Badagry.
According to him, all ongoing and intending ones must be subjected to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process with issuance of approval and Drainage Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
In his words: “Failure to comply with this directive within the next 7 Days will leave the Ministry with no other option than to deploy appropriate machineries to decommission the reclaimed sites, including excavation and removal of fill and reconnecting of already blocked water channels on the Lagoon, amongst others”.
Wahab also warned that the State Government will effect the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved or found on the site of such illegality after the expiration of the 7-day notice. He expressed grave concern about the proliferation of reclamation activities on Wetlands, Floodplains and the Lagoons across the state.
The Commissioner further stressed that the indiscriminate reclamation projects are being executed without the requisite Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Approvals and Drainage Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
According to him: “While reclamation may provide space for Housing and Infrastructure redevelopment, it also poses significant Environmental and Social risks including increased vulnerability to flooding, coastal erosion, disruption of livelihood (especially fishing), loss of wetlands and biodiversity, constriction of the Lagoons and their capacity, impairment of water quality, amongst others.”
He stressed that with the low-lying topography of Lagos State and its fragile ecosystem, the State Government cannot afford to allow this indiscriminate reclamation of the Lagoons, Wetlands and floodplains to continue unabated
