Olasunkanmi Akoni
11 August 2007
Lagos — No fewer than 300 of the flood victims displaced by last week rainfall in Isheri-Ikosi Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State have been relocated to Ikosi Primary School as a temporary camp.
The victims who are being relocated by the state government were those from five communities in the LCDA, and are being provided with relieve materials worth several millions of naira by the Lagos sState Emergency Authority (LASEMA).
The communities now taking refuge at Ikosi Primary School, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) are: Agiliti, Owode, Ajegunle, Mile-12 and Maidan, all in the same LCDA. They were displaced by last week's heavy down pour that pulled down many buildings as well as sacked many occupants of others.
Aside the state government providing them with relief materials such as toiletries, food stuffs, clothing, stove and other cooking wares and mattresses, it has also promised job opportunities for the displaced.
Speaking to Saturday Vanguard at the temporary camp, the General Manager of LASEMA, Dr. Damilola Osanyintolu said the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development was working to correct the cause of their plight.
Explaining the state government's efforts at bringing succour to the displaced, he said, "We have expended manpower, personnel and facilities like water and stand-by power generating set; we have however promised to empower these people later."
According to him, LASEMA had consulted with other relevant sister ministries to properly alleviate the present predicament of the flood victims, saying, "We have invited and discussed with our major stakeholders, the Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Environment and Physical Planning towards finding permanent solution to their problems."
LASEMA boss added that over 1,000 people were affected by the rain, "About 700 of them have relocated to their families in other parts of the state while some of them have gone to their various states; we are only taking care of those that have no where to go."
He further revealed that one of the victims, Mrs. Lateef was delivered at the camp of a baby boy last Sunday, stating, "The state was responsible for all the involvements."
Osanyintolu added that he had temporarily moved his office to the camp for convenience, adding that his LASEMA had also engaged medical personnel including doctors and pharmacists, "to take care of them."
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