Landlords and residents of Gateway Sparklight Residents Association have accused a company, Katchey Laboratories Limited, of blocking the channel directing floodwater into a canal along Buildwell Street, opposite the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries’ Prayer City, Magboro, Ogun State.

The channel was blocked to pave way for the construction of the company’s complex, floodwater was prevented from entering into the canal.

The situation caused stagnant water, which damaged the road, rendering it impassable for motorists going into various communities opposite the MFM Prayer City at Magboro.

Perplexed by the development, the residents staged a protest to express their grievances as they claimed that efforts to get the management of the company responsible for their ordeal to resolve the situation had proved abortive.

During the demonstration on Saturday, the aggrieved residents sang solidarity songs as they displayed placards with messages like, ‘Say No to Environmental Pollution,’ ‘Katchey Laboratories Limited Putting Our Lives in Danger,’ ‘SOS Ministry of Environment and Works,’ ‘Say No to Environmental Degradation.’

Speaking during the protest, a resident, Wole Adeoti, said accessing their homes had become difficult, adding that children had been crossing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to go to school as the poor state of the road had cut off school buses from accessing their communities.

He said, “We have been oppressed by the construction embarked upon by Ketchey Laboratories. If it is mandated by law that any organisation that would be involved in a business of this magnitude should, first of all, approach the government with a validation of an environmental impact assessment, and if it has been seen and approved by the government, then what is the purpose of the environmental impact assessment if we have been cut off completely?

“Before the arrival of the company, we have been using this access road to connect to neighbouring communities and to the expressway. Now, we have been completely cut off. The company brought in materials to lay the foundation for its complex, now there is no road and it is doing nothing about it.”

Another resident, Olasunkami Saka, said she was plying the bad portion of the road when she suddenly slipped and broke her hip.

“I have been on crotches since then and I was told that I would be using it for eight weeks. We need help,” she added.

The Chairman of the CDA, Philips Olofinsawe, said residents in need of prompt medical emergencies had been finding it difficult to connect to neighbouring communities to access medical care.

He said, “Months ago, what we had was a very smooth road, but what we have now is a pool of river. This is because the company put its company at the drainage where the water is supposed to pass through to the canal.

“We are calling on Katchey to be responsible and give us back our road. We want the government to compel Katchey to do the right thing.”

A site engineer, who claimed to be handling the construction of the complex for the company, Benjamin Alao, said the construction was not built on the drainage.

He said, “Julius Berger did underground drainage that collects water coming from the expressway and directs it into the canal.

“As a civil engineer, what I observed when we got to the site was that because construction had gone round the surroundings, our site, which was vacant, was a low land and that portion of the road that has also spoilt is also a low land.

“I always see stagnant water on the road and when rain falls, the surplus of the water will flow on to my site and I normally have a large pool of water on my site before we start construction.

“So, we did perimeter fencing with a retaining wall and filled the compound to the height of the retaining wall. The road is a government road and the property was not built on the road or drainage. I have forwarded records of the protest to my director, whom I believe must have forwarded it to Katchey and it will respond.”

Asked for the number of his director or spokesperson for the company, Alao said, “I am not obliged to give my director’s number.”

Efforts to reach the company through the two telephone numbers on its website proved abortive.

Our correspondent also sent a text message, but there was no response as of press time.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Oladimeji Oresanya, urged members of the affected communities to lodge an official complaint so the matter could be investigated.

He said, “Effectiveness of any government is effective collaboration with members of the public. So, if they have seen such a thing, the first thing we expect them to do is to call our complaints line, which we have made public. If they have sent a complaint before now and we have not responded, they should let me know. If I get the details from members of the communities, I will act on it immediately.”