The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the 2023 Lagos State election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has criticized the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for its lack of proactive flood management.
In an interview on Channels TV on Thursday, Rhodes-Vivour responded to the severe flash floods that hit several areas of Lagos on Wednesday following heavy rainfall.
The flooding rendered many roads nearly impassable, causing significant gridlock and discomfort for commuters. Rhodes-Vivour urged the government to implement wetland protection policies to better manage and mitigate the annual floods. He expressed frustration with the state government’s focus on demolitions while lacking adequate emergency response and flood protocols.
“What is more painful to me is that I see a government that is in your face and very active when it comes to demolition, but you have this kind of flood, and you don’t see any emergency response or protocol,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
“We are not seeing men on the ground. We are not seeing intelligence being given out early: ‘avoid these routes.’ There were no diversions.”
He added, “I don’t feel a sense of ‘I told you so.’ Anybody who loves Lagos well enough and has looked at the history of Lagos would see these things way before they happen.”
