Woman seeks shelter in toilet as flood sacks family
Woman seeks shelter in toilet as flood sacks family
Flood has forced a 50-year-old woman Abosede Adeoye to seek shelter in a toilet at Igando dumpsite, Oko-Filling Bus Stop in Lagos.
The woman fled her home with her child after the rainfall last Friday flooded her apartment and those of scores of residents of Odubanjo, Alamu Olaleye, Ovwighoyoma, Kajola, Ogunmer and Otunba Oladokun Streets, all under Zone One Community, Igando Estate Phase III.
It was gathered that residents of the neighbourhood have suffered severe flooding of their homes during rainy season orchestrated by the topography of the area as well as blocked drainages.
Adeoye who said her husband abandoned her and their kid several years ago, explained to sought solace in the toilet because she could not afford to pay for another accommodation.
She said: “I have been in this community for the past eight years with my child. For years now, this is how we have been living here and it is affecting my health and that of my child.
“The place is no longer conducive for us, but we cannot afford another place. Whenever it rains, I and other women used to fight over right of space in the toilet, but most of the women allow me to have the toilet because of my age.
“I am married but my husband is very old. He left the children and I. I hustle for myself and children. The property I moved with into this community was destroyed. If we go out to work and it starts raining, we start to worry and panic. We know there would not be a place to sleep. “It means a night of trouble, cold and mosquitoes. When we return home to see our homes flooded, we go to bed hungry. There will be no place to cook,” she lamented.
Appealing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to rescue the community from their predicament, Adeoye said they were yet to feel the presence of government in their area.
Aside the floods, she said residents also suffered from stench from the dumpsite, adding that pigs and snakes were common sight.
Community Development Chairman (CDA) Secretary Samuel Ohwerhoye said hundreds of buildings and about 500,000 residents were at risk of losing their properties as the rain continues.
He said: “I have been here for over 22 years. It used to be the best place in town but today, everything has changed. As members of the community, we have repeatedly tried, spent our resource to channel the flood, which has been occurring for years but nothing appears to be working.
“Once it starts raining, we won’t be able to stay in this community. The dumpsite here is also another problem; it pushes water back into the community. We pray Governor Sanwo-Olu to come and look at our situation and proffer a solution.
“We’ve complained before to previous administrations, engineers will come, look around and then leave. That would be the end. We wouldn’t hear anything from them.”
Another resident Chief Michael Offe alleged that the flood and fluids from the dumpsite penetrate their source of drinking water (boreholes) polluting same.
“I buy bags of sachet water every day and this is after spending money to build a borehole. It’s painful. In order to bath, we had to go around looking for water. I’m asthmatic, once its rains, horrible stench and heat start emitting from the dumpsite, causing crisis for me.
“Our boreholes have been contaminated. Children and adults are plagued by sicknesses. Armed robbers and miscreants have taken over the community.”
The residents appeal to Sanwo-Olu to build drainages, grade streets and check the dumpsite by spraying it with necessary chemicals.
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