At a press briefing organized for unsettled  communities in Eti Osa local government area, stakeholders in the axis urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu to convene Ocean surge summit that will address the challenges bedeveling residents and the way forward in promoting economic activities in the axis.

The chairman Ocean Surge Community Eti Osa Local government, Honourable Sheriff Elegushi who also became homeless alongside his parents as a result of the ocean surge said the government should embark on embactment and reclamation exercise in reclaiming over 2000 kilometers of land mass that the ocean surge had claimed.

In an interview with ,Town Crier News Nigeria  after the presentation of relief materials, he said;

“Before now, we have our health centers in this axis, at the moment, the soak away is the only evidence we have got to show it is a former health center.

Are Bar. Oladotun Hasan ,with Hon. Sheriffdeen Elegushi points the road which is about 200 meters away

“Before we have our tarred roads at the edge, likewise the electricity poles and wire but now they are no more there.

The legislative aide to honourable Ibrahim Jide Obanikoro, who represents Eti-Osa.local government areas in the Federal house of representatives, Mr Seun Sonoiki granting an interview with the newsmen

“That is why I want you members of the fourth estate of the realm to come and see it by yourself so you can have sufficient information on what to report.

“We want government to come to our rescue. We want government to do embactment and reclamation just like they did at the bar beach so that it can be well protected.

Are Bar. Oladotun Hasan, pointing their Primary Health Care Center  that had sink into the ground

“If embactment and sandfilling which is also called reclamation are not done, the water will later penetrate the other axis which will later cart away the sand.

Wisdom For Glory Nursery, Primary,and Secondary school in that axis that was badly affected as a result of the Ocean Surge

We need rocks and sand for the intervention to be sustainable”. Elegushi asserted

The legislative aide to honourable Ibrahim Jide Obanikoro, who represents Eti-Osa.local government areas in the Federal house of representatives, Mr Seun Sonoiki, said their presence at the program is to present relief items to the affected communities and to ensure things are done well.

Adiboy Hotel in those days bubbling but now the state of the building in a bad shape as a result of Ocean Surge

 

Muda China hotel bubbling far back as 1992, but now half of the building had sink into the ground ,may God help us.

“We are here to present these items to the community. When we notice they are having challenges of ocean surge, on few occasions they have reached out to our constituency office and we came to do assesment with Federal government and Officials in different minsiteries.

“Honourable Obanikoro has been dragging all the parastatal and ministry involved to come to the aid of the communities he represents at the green chamber of the national assembly.

“He came with an idea to give relief materials to ameliorate what is on ground. Such that it would send a message to the affected communities and victims that he is on ground, the government is still alive and can hear them.

Sonoiki said his office through NEMA was able to facilitate the items on ground. Some of the items include rice, beans, roofing sheets, roofing board, cement, groundnut oil.

Beneficiaries

“The community we are reaching out to include Okun, Aja, and the other three communities. Also we have reached out to Takwa-bay communities.

“We are handing over this items to the community leaders so they can reach out to their wards. The community leaders know their community better than we do. Our job is to make sure things are done well”. Sonoiki said.

The relive packages

The Deputy Chairman Eti-Osa Community Ocean Surge, Aare Barrister Oladotun Hassan in a separate interview at the event narrated his own account of the unfortunate scenario to newsconnect. He said;

“At the time it started, the ocean surge eats up about 2000km land mass below the sea level. If we must reclaim that amount of land, it requires immediate palliative of rock and sandfilling. We understand this is available in Victoria

We understand this is available in Victoria Island beach.

“The rock will serve as immediate blockage against the ocean surge. If that is not done, the ugly scenario will degenerate to a Tsunami.

He thanked Federal government for giving them the needed attention. He said the palliatives shared to victims today is to make them have confidence in the government and to stabilised them mentally. He further said ;

“Our demand is for the federal and state governments to jointly wake up and see the life of the people as our demand also ensuring while reclaiming the areas, there will be a lot of business opportunities and economic growth in this areas.

“We thank Honourable Jide Obanikoro for creating that synergy. When we gave him our letter, he listened to us and facilitated the process of getting the attention of Minister of humanitarian affairs who monitored NEMA to give this palliative today. Over 300 items which include rice, beans, roofing board, roofing sheets, cement, oil, were shared amongst the affected wards in the presence of their Baale”.

He said, it can’t be enough but it will show sense of concern that the government cares.

Affected areas include Okun afa, Okun Mopo, Lafiaji, and the entire corridors of Eti Osa and Ibeju Lekki. In his concluding remark, Oladotun said;

“We urge sanwolu to convey ocean surge summit because Lagos is a center of business attraction and If seasonal situation like this is bedeviling it’s development, we the stakeholders in this axis should nip it in the bud.

“We will give him a date very soon to discuss critical areas of synergy on development, empowerment, leisures, and tourism so that everything that has to be encompassed in this project will be captured at the summit”.

Muda China Hotel from the side