Unbridled activities, poor hygiene reign supreme in Abesan Estate

By Segun Odunewu

Abesan low-cost housing estate in Mosan-Okunola Development Council in Ipaja is now a shadow of its once glorious self with unbridled activities, poor hygiene and dilapidation now the order of the day.

The estate, constructed by the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, is riddled with failed roads, flooded streets, and a sickening odour from leaking sewage tanks, putting residents at a high risk of a cholera outbreak.

Commenting on the poor state of the estate, President of the Residents Association, Samson Afolabi, told National Daily that no maintenance work has been carried out on the network of roads since Jakande left office may years ago.

Afolabi, a pensioner noted that government’s presence is largely missing on the streets of the estate as all residents now depend on self-help to keep the estate comfortable.

He lamented what he described as the embarrassing sanitary condition of the estate, saying that residents had been buying water from water vendors over the years because of a lack of water in the estate.

“Some residents resorted to sinking boreholes that is why everywhere looks disorganized because such facilities are not supposed to be deployed indiscriminately.

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Findings by National Daily also revealed that the central sewage system in most places has completely broke down, posing great health risks to residents, compelling residents of each block of flats to dig its own septic chambers and tanks.

Findings by our correspondent also show that maintenance becomes a problem when the septic tanks cave in as the landlords would bicker on the quotation provided by service providers.

Aside constituting a danger, especially to young residents who might fall into some of the open chambers, the telltale greenish waste water perpetually fouls the air in the environment.

An interesting scene played out at Block N8, in sector 34. With eight flats, the building is one of the shabbiest in the sector. Giant rats played hide-and-seek from the gaping cracks on the septic chambers in the basement, which has already leaked puddles of greenish waste water all over the area.

Also speaking former Chairman, Sector 34 residents association, Mr. Samuel Idowu, elucidated on the challenges and plans to give a facelift to the sector.

According to him, six blocks of flats in the sector have been served warning letters to discharge the waste oozing out daily from the septic tanks. He also noted that only one or two blocks had complied with his directive.

Idowu said, “We used to have a central sewer system but it was not functional. Later, individuals disconnected from it and started constructing soak ways. But they are not cooperative in some buildings. If anything involves money, it becomes a problem because most of us are pensioners. By the time they eventually call Lorries to evacuate the waste, it would have started leaking. We have served them letters but only a few have complied.”

When contacted, the state government said on several occasions, it has repair the central sewage, blaming residents for discharging raw wastewater into the public drains, and blocking them in the process.

In a letter to the AERA last month, the state government said it would “no longer tolerate a situation where residents discharge raw wastewater into the public drains, such actions shall be sanctioned in accordance with the environmental laws of Lagos State.”.

The letter, signed by the Head, Operations, Safety, Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Sewer Networks, Mr. Y.A.T. Gidado, urged the AERA, “To inform all those who have disconnected their residential blocks from the central sewer network, to, as a matter of urgency, reconnect back to the sewer network manhole closest to their blocks.”

The Hon. (Princess) Olabisi Adebayo, the Executive Chairman of Mosan-Okunola, however, put the sordid state of the estate down to paucity of funds to provide the sorely needed amenities.

In a chat, Princess Adebayo said it was erroneous to think local councils have enough money to work with. She lamented that her administration had had to live by a shoestring to keep the council financially afloat.

“We have built a health centre and we are plastering it. It (Abesan Estate) is the biggest in Lagos and that is why we built the befitting health centre. The school fence would have been completed, we would have constructed more roads but for lack of money. The money we get, we immediately pay statutory funds like salaries. These facts can be verified. We are hampered by funds.”