Pains And Gains Of Living In Lagos Coastal Communities

Describing their living conditions as pathetic is most certainly an understatement. But every person has a place in the shadows. Though the inhabitants of the coastal communities, predominantly occupied by the Illajes, said they have challenges, they are comfortable in their environment. GEORGE OKOJIE, reports Alhaji Akeem Murtala, a 55-year-old fisherman has lived in Ikorodu-Ajegunle coastal community in Lagos for decades and owes all his successes in life to the coastal community.

As far as he is concerned, their abode has its benefits and challenges and he would prefer to dwell in the riverside community because of the economic benefits he derives from fishing activities. He said, “we are mostly fishermen in this place. Our occupation is fishing. Our parents and grandparents have been fishermen here. We survive from the money we make from fishing. Our children go to school from here with canoes and boats. Speed boats operate regularly here now to the Lagos Island and it is easy for us to go out to sell what we have and come back here. “We want the government to help us to develop the riverside areas. The government cannot say they don t know that we are here. They have developed inside Lagos. We have our own constituency and participate in general election but when you ask our councillors, they tell you our facilities (amenities) are on the way. “For how long and when will our reward and dividends of democracy come are the questions. What I have discovered is that these politicians only ride on our back and dump us like beast of burden as soon as they get to office.

“Some time ago, they told us to relocate from here because of ocean surge and flooding. Many of the inhabitants of Lagos coastal areas are fishermen. We do not see anything bad in high water level causing flood in the state. It is normal and periodical. It is a period we do record highest yield in fishing.

“All this while, the government and people have been complaining of flood, you can see that the whole place is full of fish. We can get about 20 baskets of fish in a day. If the water level is not high, we can only get about six baskets or less. We sell one basket for N7,000 or N7,500 .This is where we get the money to feed and send our children to school.”

Another dweller, Alao Eretan said, “we are happy living on the riverside and do not feel bad living here. We have been living here for more than 100 years. Our parents lived here; this is our place. Even if they want to take us to Ikoyi, Surulere, or Ikeja, we are not going there. This is where we earn our living; we depend on fishing for our daily bread.”

Mrs Omolara Semiu, a teacher seemed to reason otherwise when she said, “our lives are not safe in this environment because of bad incidents that happen from time to time. I am a teacher. I grew up in this community and I have seen a lot of mishaps that occurred here. So many school children have died through boat and canoe mishaps. Sometimes, flood and ocean surge and coastal erosion will just carry away, kill people and destroy property of people living in these areas.

“However, we have remained here and my husband has a saw mill business in this place and the business depends on this water and this kind of environment. Our major problem here is lack of basic necessities of life. There is no bridge to link this place easily to the city. Sometimes we lose people, school children to boat mishaps. But since the government said we should be wearing life-jackets in the boats, people are not dying carelessly again.

“We have about 18 communities in this axis alone. You can see very big buildings already built by our people here on the piece of land that we have and they are still building. Some even have more than five houses here. They got all the money here. The money my children spend in school, we got from here.

“Fish is plentiful here and traders and most city dwellers come from miles away to take advantage of the rich marine life. What the government can do for us is to help develop the place so that we will be alright and live our lives well.” On his part, Akanmu Wole noted that,” Lagos riverside communities are spread across the three senatorial zones in the state and the communities have unique challenges which range from accessible roads and bridges, as they can only be reached via canoes and boats.

“You can see that the communities are surrounded by water yet potable water is a luxury to us. What is available to us as drinking water is polluted and unhygienic water unfit for drinking.”

LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that the coastal communities scattered in different parts of the state whether in Olokunola, Makoko Lekki, Epe have potentials for tourism development, with beautiful sandy beaches devoid of forestation. In most of the dwellings, it was also observed that hygiene and sanitation are very good on these riverside villages. Every household has a pit latrine and there are water-wells which are kept clean all year.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State government said the riverside communities have not been neglected, saying that so many amenities had been provided in the communities to make life comfortable for the dwellers.

The state government said it established ministry of rural development to facilitate developmental projects that would change the people’s living standard.

Annually, the ministry is armed with a budget of N2 billion to carry out projects like water and rural electrification to give the people a taste of urbanisation.

According to the state commissioner for rural development, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, the government has completed projects in Otto-Awori local council development area (LCDA) ready for handing-over to the riverside dwellers.

In Ishagira, a village surrounded by water, with a population of about 2,000, he said the state government commissioned the Solar-powered modified Type ‘A’ water project.

Ojelabi noted that despite the presence of a big river in the area, the village, for over a century never had potable water as they made use of well-water.

He said, to alleviate their plights, the ministry provided the modified Type ‘A’ water project for the community, saying the water is being pumped with the aid of solar.

The commissioner said government was concerned about the poor quality of water the rural populace consumed and urged them to maintain the project so that it could last long.

“You have to embrace the culture of maintenance; maintain this facility and you have to support the government so that it could also support you,” he said.

To enhance sustainability, the commissioner urged the villagers to form themselves into cooperatives so that they can collectively seek assistance from the state government to boost food production.

Source: Leadership