Following the rail construction in Agege, Ajegunle Community in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, the community leaders say the ongoing construction of Lagos–Ibadan Standard gauge line has exposed the community to flooding.
Mr Julius Ekemode, a Leader in Ajegunle Agege Community in an interview with AgegePulse Magazine, said that the community was “seriously prone to flooding due to the construction of the new rail lines’’.
Julius urged the Federal Government and Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to come to the rescue of the community and build a canal in the community.
“We are sending a SOS message to government to take proactive measure to prevent the looming disaster as a result of flooding in this community.
“Rail line is good for the society no doubt about it, but our community is in danger of flooding when rain start.
“With little rain we have experienced here in January, just about 30 minutes, everywhere was flooded. (We have a video evidence).
“It was terrible, just imagine what will happen when the rain starts properly.
“The community is now appealing to the government and the NRC to come to our aid and build a canal for us that will withstand the full force of the water during the downpour.
“With high level of the rail line compare to buildings in our community, it’s like we are now in the valley which exposes us to flooding whenever it rains,” he said.
Also, Dr Samuel Olukayode, another community leader, appealed to the government to provide another secondary School for the community as the rail line had disconnected the area from others.
“The only secondary school our children attend is now at the other side of the standard gauge line.
“We can’t afford to put the life our children at risk on daily basis by crossing the rail line to the other side.
“We beg the government to come to our aid quickly before the matter become disaster.
“This is a big community and we don’t want the situation where the matter will go out of hands,” Olukayode said.
Speaking, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, appealed to NRC and Federal Government to do rectification of the drainage channel before the rain started.
Ogundimu, representing Agege Constituency II, said that the drainage channels constructed by contractor handling the rail line was too small to accommodate the high flow of rain water.
“We want the NRC to come and do rectification in, Ajegunle Agege Community; the drainage provided by the contractor is too small compared to previous canal.
“This is a save our soul message to the government otherwise our people will perish here.
“Now, we have foreseen this problem before occurrence, that is why we are calling on those who are concern to be proactive in solving the problem,” he said.
During her visit to the area, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, the Commissioner for Education, urged the community to write to the state government, assuring them that necessary actions would be taken soon.
“Write a letter to the state government about the building of new secondary school in your area, and I am assuring you that your plights would be considered.
“Truly, we won’t allow those small children to be crossing such rail line with top speed, it is too risky.
“The state government will find solutions to all the challenges attached to the new standard gauge line in this area,” Adefisayo said.
