EXPECT MORE VIOLENT RAINSTORM, LAGOS GOVT WARNS

By NBF News

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo
LAGOS - Barely a week after rainstorm killed about 15 persons, including 10 school children and destroyed property worth millions of naira in Lagos, the state government, Wednesday, warned residents to be more cautious and vigilant, as there were indications that more strong winds would accompany heavy rainfall this year.

Rainstorm destroyed property worth millions in Lagos

Meanwhile, the state government has presented 40 life jackets to Ojota and Origele residents in Ojo and Ikeka Local Government Areas in the state as part of measures to complement safety on the state waterways.

On the more violent rainstorm this year, Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, gave the hint at a town hall meeting, where Governor Babatunde Fashola noted that those who indulged in abuse of the environment were 'enemy of the state' and would be treated as such.

Speaking at the town hall meeting in Surulere, on the need to keep effective environmental sanitation for a cleaner Lagos, Bello urged residents to join forces with the government to minimise the impact of the storm.

He said the state was aware of the impending violent storm by its in-house scientists and other weather forecasters in the state.

He said: 'If we all work together, we can minimise the impact of weather change in our state. We are expecting heavy rain this year, with wild wind and storm. Our experts told us that the rain will be heavier than that of last year.'

'We will let you know if we are going to have storm. Nowhere in the world is safe due to the climatic change, but we can minimise the impact if we all work together and make our environment clean especially by stopping the habit of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in water channels.'

He warned traders and marketers in the state to desist from the habit of throwing wasted into canals and drains. He said markets, which violated the environmental law of the state would be closed for three months, adding that the state had been clearing drainages and building new ones.