The Chairman of Rosellas
Amusement Park in Lagos, Mr Oluwatoyin Ololade, says the park may soon close down due to threat to revellers by reptiles, dumpsite stench and flooding.
Ololade told newsmen in Lagos that the park was facing challenges of flooding and stench oozing from the dumpsite created beside the park.
He, therefore, appealed to the Lagos State Government to save his park, stressing that workers would be negatively affected if the park was closed down.
“Each time it rains, the wastes and dirt at the dumpsite will litter the whole environment and these increase the level of flood around the park and in the community.
“The flood has destroyed properties and facilities worth millions of naira at the park, “ Ololade said.
Ololade said the dumpsite near the park was also breeding flies, rats, snakes and dusts which discouraged revellers from patronising the park.
“Some customers have deserted the park because of the unhygienic environment, odour and reptiles,’’ he said.
He said the park’s swimming pool, perimeter fence, water pumping machine and musical instrument were some of the items destroyed in previous floods.
Oloade said that others items destroyed by flood were documents, indoor games facilities and domestic animals at the park.
He said that some building structures had been abandoned because of the flood.
Ololade listed some parks in the state that had folded up as the Leisure Park, Fantasy land, Family fun, Kid zone and Apapa Amusement Parks.
“All these parks are tourism sites in the city-state. They boost the tourism prospective of the state and can provide job opportunities to many youths.
“Therefore, the Lagos State Government should revive these parks and save others from going into extinction, “ he said.
According to him, the major cause of the flooding is the drainage channel abandoned by a foreign construction company engaged by the state government in 2013 that constructed the LASU-Igando express road.
“The drainage channel is yet to be completed by the construction company that stopped work in front of park.
“Any time it rains, it causes heavy flooding around the park and this usually damages properties and facilities running into millions of naira, “ Ololade said.
“We have written to the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Lagos Physical Planning and Development Authority, Lagos State Waste and Management Authority (LAWMA) and Commissioner for the Environment.
“All efforts and steps proved abortive as there was no reply or response from any of them despite all the letters.“
Mr Ola Oresanya, the Managing Director, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), said that the authority was planning to correct the effect of the odour and flooding caused by the dumpsite.
He said the authority had received complaints on both issues lodged by residents and business owners from the community.
The managing director said that the Lagos State government had concluded plans to relocate the LAWMA dumpsite in the city to Epe on the outskirt of Lagos.
“The LAWMA management is not happy with the complaints and the health hazard the dumpsite is causing residents and business owners in the area.
“LAWMA promises to provide a lasting solution to their complaints, “ he told NAN.
Oresanya said LAWMA would put safety measures in places where there were dumpsites in the state to combat flooding and odour from affecting the residents.