Just yesterday, tragedy struck again in Ikorodu. Severe erosion swept through homes, displacing families, destroying properties, and leaving many stranded. Yet, instead of triggering an immediate emergency response, the Lagos State Government—through its Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources—simply told residents to “vacate the area.”
That’s not leadership. That’s abandonment.
When government officials ask people to vacate their homes without offering alternatives—no shelters, no relocation plans, no safety nets—they are not governing; they are walking away from responsibility. Are these displaced residents meant to move into the king’s palace, the police barracks, or simply onto the streets?
Thomas Hobbes described life without government as “nasty, brutish, and short.” For many in Lagos today, especially the vulnerable, that isn’t theory—it’s reality. When public officials tell citizens to fend for themselves during crises, the social contract is broken.
The erosion issue in Ikorodu didn’t begin yesterday. Residents have raised the alarm for years. Environmentalists have warned. Experts have proposed solutions. But year after year, the government does nothing. Blocked drainage systems remain uncleared. Proper urban planning is ignored. Emergency preparedness is a myth. And when the inevitable happens—flood, destruction, displacement—we hear only silence or, worse, cold directives to “leave.”
Instead of empathy, Lagosians got a heartless command. That’s not how responsible governments act. That’s not how serious leaders respond to suffering.
Let the downtrodden breathe
Development isn’t just about bridges, roads, and grand structures. It’s also about people—the market woman whose shop was washed away, the child forced to sleep on a wet floor, the families with nowhere to go.
If the Lagos State Government cannot stop disasters, it should at least manage them with compassion and a clear action plan. Immediate steps could include:
- Emergency Relief & Temporary Shelters:
Open public schools and community halls to house displaced families. Provide food, water, medical aid, and bedding immediately. - Rapid Environmental Assessment:
Deploy teams to assess affected areas, unblock canals, and reinforce weak drainage systems. - Direct Financial Support:
Offer compensation or relocation grants to victims whose homes were destroyed.
The APC-led administration in Lagos must stop failing its citizens. Leadership is not about issuing ultimatums from air-conditioned offices. It is about standing with the people in their worst moments and offering real solutions.
Lagos deserves better. Ikorodu deserves attention. And the people deserve leadership that works for them, not against them.
Leadership is not evacuation. Leadership is solution. Let the downtrodden breathe.
Ireti is Media & Publicity to GRV
