Dave Umahi: Blocked Underground Channel Brought on Flooding On Lagos-Calabar Coastal Freeway
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has blamed the latest flooding on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Freeway on blocked underground drainage channels, saying refuse dumped into manholes brought on the disruption.
Talking at a press convention on Thursday, Umahi mentioned the flooding was not attributable to development defects however human actions obstructing drainage programs.
“The flooding of the coastal freeway was as a result of our underground channel have been blocked with refuse,” he mentioned.
“That is the fundamental motive why we even have flooding usually in Lagos. The place individuals carry their day by day refuse after which put it contained in the manhole.”
He urged the general public to take duty in safeguarding infrastructure, including that vandalism alongside the coastal highway has worsened the state of affairs.
“The primary we’ve performed to guard the coastal highway is being destroyed by individuals,” he mentioned. “The inexperienced you already know the barbed wire we put to reveal the great thing about the coastal you already know roads in a variety of sections are being caught and brought by individuals.”
Umahi disclosed that reinforcement supplies put in on sections of the highway had additionally been tampered with.
“So there’s nonetheless three meters to be laid and so there’s a connecting bar we name it Dower bars you already know and this bar isn’t any a couple of meter and other people go there and lower it,” he mentioned.
The minister warned that unlawful mining and sand harvesting actions are damaging bridges nationwide, citing structural threats to key infrastructure.
“And so what occurred to those two bridges? Individuals harvested the sand underneath,” he mentioned. “And so what’s holding the bridges are the sand holding the piles.”
He revealed that investigations confirmed unlawful miners had interfered with bridge foundations.
“Nearly three months again you already know an unlawful miner hit the one of many piles and eliminated the piles,” he mentioned, including that he “directed for prosecution of that firm that did that.”
On the deteriorating situation of some bridges, Umahi disclosed that one might must be demolished.
“To the extent that by investigations, by you already know the stakeholders assembly, by the consultants of consultants, Carter bridge must be demolished,” he mentioned.
He confused that roads and bridges are usually not designed to bear stationary heavy hundreds, warning in opposition to vans parking on crucial constructions.
“Roads and bridges are by no means designed for static hundreds,” he mentioned. “We’re asking for hassle by permitting you already know automobiles and large vans and small vans to be parking on our bridges.”
Umahi mentioned the ministry had launched CCTV surveillance on main bridges to curb vandalism.
“However because of Mr. President who directed me to introduce CCTV on our roads. And that’s why we launched CCTV on Third Mainland Bridge and it was very straightforward for the police in Lagos to catch the vandals,” he mentioned.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Times Nigeria