Lagos State Government Warns Residents On Sea Surge

The Lagos State Government has warned residents of coastal areas in the state to be prepared for another deadly ocean surge this year.
Last year, ocean surge at Kuramo Beach swept away 15 people and sacked the entire coastal community, with properties worth millions of naira lost.
Addressing a news conference on plans by the state to prepare for this year’s rainfall to mitigate the impact of flood, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello alerted that another ocean surge should be expected this year, saying that the government was working hard to mitigate the impact.
Bello accused the Federal Government of being insensitive to the plights of the people living in coastal areas, saying that despite the promises President Goodluck Jonathan made in 2011 when Alpha Beach was eroded, the president had done nothing since then.
“I pity people living around the ocean and it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to protect them. The erosion at the beaches is critical and has nothing to do with the level of rainfall,” he said.
“We have not received a dime from the centre. But they sent representatives last week to meet with the state government and have agreed to make some contributions. In some parts, the federal government promised to contribute 70 percent. In other parts, they promised to contribute 35 percent. Once they are ready, we will cooperate,” he explained.
The commissioner said the government had put machinery in motion to mitigate the impact of flood in the Lagos metropolis this year.