Rhodes-Vivour Proposes Solutions to Lagos Jankara Market Flooding

The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in Lagos State in the 2023 elections, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivor has preferred solution to the flooding challenges affecting several communities in Lagos, particularly Jankara Market. He was speaking in an interview with Radio Now’s George Onuorah.

He said, “relatively familiar with Jankara market and that area. Majority of the challenges that we experience and we complain about for a long time now is the flooding, you know, the drainage, the water that flows into the market, the very foul smell of, you know, the gutters and drainage around the area. And all of this is also linked to developments and some filling that happened in the general surroundings of the entire parts of Lagos Island. And you have a situation where means by which water could flow out of the city, flow out of that part of town, the loss and filling has happened to prevent that from happening. And the drainage systems that are there are very inadequate. Also the levels of the streets relative to the housing, a lot of this has not been planned properly to have a proper marketplace.”

The architect and entrepreneur while speaking on the flooding challenge proposed solutions like creating a proper drainage network, halting sand filling, and building modern structures.

“It’s about creating a proper drainage network. It’s also about arresting this feeling that has been going on all across Lagos City, especially around Lagos Island. There are lots of buildings and communities that are being taken over by the state government for them to build new modern high-rises or to demolish and then have real estate developers come and build other things there.So there must be a holistic plan for getting water out of these communities and that’s start from creating a holistic plan and then understanding that we cannot just sit back and expect that water will just flow out through these gutters. There must be mechanized means by which this water goes out, mechanized means by which these waters are cleaned and treated before they go into the lagoons and also gutters have to be covered because this is what then creates this stagnation. So a holistic drainage system, drainage plan, ensuring that we have a wetland protection plan in place and in the event that sand filling is happening ensure that that does not infringe our drainage plan and then also ensuring that the market itself is prioritized.”

While speaking on the proposed demolition of the market, Mr. Rhodes-Vivour called for restraints given the prevailing economic challenges.

 “I think that there is a time and season for everything in the sense that with the difficulties that Nigerians are facing now, inflation in terms of food prices, inflation in terms of construction prices, inflation in terms of rent price, with the slowing down of the markets, with the reduction on purchasing power for most Nigerians, for most Lagosians, now is not the time to be taking away people’s ability to earn a living, right? Like, yeah, okay, you want to demolish something, so what’s going to happen to all those people? Have you created something where they can go and stay temporarily and continue their business and then be relocated back? Is that a consideration or is it just to hell with them? We are destroying this. This is our plan and whatever you guys end up doing, that’s your business.”