FLOOD TAKES OVER

Residents Groan As Flood Takes Over

A Residents of Jakande Estate in Lekki are currently going through a difficult time as the flood caused by the heavy downpour in the area recently is yet to recede.
Most parts of the area were flooded as a result of the downpour while roads have been rendered impassable for both human and vehicular traffic.
A resident of the estate, said: “Any time there is a heavy rain, more than 70 percent of the residents become automatic refugees in their homes while properties are usually destroyed. There is no good drainage. The gutters are filled with sand and refuse and you can hardly recognize them again. If there is good drainage, we would not be experiencing flood here.
“Rain should ordinarily bring succor but it has turned into our own nightmare. It poured nonstop all the night.”
He appealed to the state government to come to their aid as the disaster has brought them untold hardship. Investigations revealed that most of the flats on the basement floor of the estate have been abandoned by their owners due to flooding.
Members of a family were seen removing water from their home while some tried to prevent the flood from getting into their homes with different barricades.
Mrs. Veronica Obi who lives on the 2nd floor of one of the blocks in the estate said: “Several hours of torrential rain at the weekend destroyed our properties. Some residents have packed out their belongings to safe areas. It is a common sight here to see father, mother and children clutching their belongings and moving away to safe areas because the water has reached unbearable level.”
She called for urgent measures by the state government to arrest the situation.
Another resident who identified himself simply as Emmanuel blamed the problems of the area on lack of drainage. “If you get to my room now, the flood has taken over. It nearly swallowed me. My foam, electronics are on top of water. All my things are destroyed. I have to start from the beginning again,” he stated.
The stagnant water in the estate have turned into a pool where children play and bath.

Man Dies In Road Accident
One person was confirmed dead in a motor accident on Agege Motor Road, Ikeja Bus Stop, at about 10 p.m., yesterday.
An eye witness, who identified himself as Mr. Tayo Famous-Cole,said "the accident occurred when the victim wanted to cross the express road.
He said the victim was crushed to death by a hit and run commuter bus driver.
Immediately after the accident, the people at the bus stop took the dead body off the road for identification.
The deceased is known as Irhabor Monday Oseghale of No. 19, Afolabi Obe Street, Off Ori-Oke Bus Stop, Agege.
Another witness, Obinna Emeka, said "that immediately the accident happened, people tried to contact the Lagos State Ambulance Service officials but their emergency numbers did not go through.
Kelechi Kanayo, a sympathiser, appealed to the state government to construct a pedestrian bridge over the express road to avoid a similar incident.

JUNE12 AND NIGERIANS

June 12 election, Abiola get big play in Nigerian media

The biggest story in the Nigerian media this week was the anniversary of the annulment of the result of the presidential election which f featured the presumed winner, Chief M.K.O. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Dawakin Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).Friday, 12 June, 16 years ago, the election, regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria's political history, was held but the then military government of General Ibrahim Babangida cancelled the results.Following this development, "Nigeria went up in flames" as the people across the length and breadth of the country protested violently against the decision.Pro-democracy organisations and individuals came together and fought the military to a standstill although Abiola died in the process of trying to claim his mandate."A nation remembers....June 12", was the headline of the Guardian newspaper on Friday.The paper said: "16 years have passed and June 12 has remained a recurring phenomenon in Nigerian politics, a permanence in her history."Today (Friday), Nigerians from across all divides, will assemble in various parts of the country, to celebrate the epochal event."And if the late Abiola, the presumed winner of that presidential election in 1993 annulled by the military, had the privilege to peep into today's activities, he would certainly rejoice in his spirit that he did not die in vain."According to the paper: "Ahead of the anniversary, some state governments declared Friday a work-free day in honour of the business mogul, who died in detention on 8 June, 1997, for refusing to renounce his unofficial mandate."The day was also used by some eminent Nigerians and groups to remember other martyrs of the struggle such as Kudirat, Abiola's slain wife, businessman Alfred Rewane and journalist Bagauda Kaltho, among others.In its editorial, titled "16 June 12s Ago", the Vanguard said: "JUNE 12 is at the verge of receding to the memory of a few. Dubious politicians, with a flair for speaking from both sides of their mouths, have applauded and condemned June 12, depending on whether it could buy the next political meal or not."For them, June 12 was an opportunity – they used it, they abused it, now they disabuse it – all in their chase for a slice of the national pie. Many politician smarked their ascendancy to something, politically speaking, latching on some ba r e thread strung to June 12."June 12, 16 years ago, gave birth to the most memorable election that changed political platforms in Nigeria. Chief Abiola, who should be a conservative, ran on a socialist platform to win the most credible election in Nigeria to date."There was more to June 12. Chief Abiola’s running mate was a Muslim, as was Abiola, the only time two people of the same faith ran on the same ticket, and they won, or were winning until the military authorities stopped the announcement of the results, a move that threw Nigeria into years of turmoil."Nigerians hit the streets in protests, many lost their lives. Chief Abiola went into exile and on his return declared himself President. The military went after him and he was incarcerated for four years, during which every anniversary of June 12 was an occasion to rally support for him, more riots, more loss of lives an d further descent of the country into mayhem.The paper wrote that the people were unrelenting, the military authorities would not yield any grounds, until the death of General Sani Abacha created an opening for dialogue, but Chief Abiola had also died.General Abdulsalami Abubakar who took over executed a fast one to democratic rule under which many self-acclaimed supporters of June 12 prospered, wearing their June 12 credentials on their foreheads.The Daily Trust celebrated the story with the headline, "Why IBB failed to hand over", disclosing that the main reason behind the failure of Babangida to hand over leadership to Chief Abiola was Abiola's perceived closeness to the top class of the nation's military which was too close for comfort.The paper quoted a former governor of the South West Oyo State, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, as saying this at a public lecture in Ibadan, capital of the State.Olunloyo posited that Abiola’s albatross was his close relationship with the military men, saying he (Abiola) would never have been allowed to be president of Nigeria.“Abiola moved too close with the military. He operated contracts with them. He transacted businesses with them and helped them to transfer money to their foreig n bank accounts,” he revealed, explaining that he knew the foreign bank accounts of the high hierarchy of the nation’s military men.He said: “He (Abiola) knows their accounts. How would they have allowed him to now come around and be their president? Somebody who was more or less a ‘super SSS’, who knew every secret in the military and of military men, they knew that if someone like him became their president, they would have been in (hot) soup because of their secrets.”Olunloyo submitted that these, among others, had compelled Babangida not to hand over power to Abiola.This Day newspaper wrote "16 Yrs After, Nigerians Remember June 12", while the Daily Independent headlined the story "Nigerians Mark June 12 Today".This Day reported: "Today has been declared a public holiday by the Lagos and Ogun state governments to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the annulled June 12 , 1993, presidential election widely believed to have been won by Chief Abiola.”It said, however, that there had been varied reactions from politicians on the place of Abiola who died in custody while seeking validation of his mandate by the military regime.As a yearly routine since 1999, Ogun and Lagos state governments have continued to observe the day as work-free day in commemoration of Abiola's 'martyrdom' and the June 12 presidential election adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the political annals of Nigeria.