The Lagos State Government has approved the payment of a 13th-month salary for the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG), a unit under the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, in recognition of their outstanding service to the state.
According to sources, the Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this at a meeting with the operatives over the weekend. Wahab charged them to continue striving for improved service delivery to ensure a flood-free Lagos.
Wahab acknowledged the team’s hard work in clearing secondary drains and manholes in the 57 local government areas and local council development areas of the state. He also commended their efforts in preventing flash flooding and emphasized that the state government would continue to provide necessary logistics and support for their duties.
As part of their welfare package, the government has put in place an adequate healthcare system for EFAG officials, managed by the Lagos State Health Management Agency. Wahab expressed his appreciation to the team, stating that without their efforts, Lagos would experience frequent flooding.
In recent times, Lagos has not experienced serious flooding due to measures put in place by the government and the continuous cleaning of drains by EFAG. The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mahamood Adegbite, attributed this success to the collaboration between government agencies and the dedication of EFAG officials.
In response, a member of EFAG and Area Manager, Surulere, Bukonla Meadows, expressed gratitude to the government for providing necessary support to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.
The announcement comes on the heels of a recent incident where workers from the ministry cleared a flooded Freedom Way Junction in Lekki following a social media alert. The success is seen as a testament to the effectiveness of the government’s measures in mitigating flooding in the state.
