'Eko Atlantic City not cause of floods' says Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has  dismissed insinuation that the Eko Atlantic City project is the cause of flooding in the state.
Fashola said the  Atlantic city – a planned district being constructed on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean- was not in anyway connected to the floods which wreaked havoc on the Lagos metropolis.
He said this on Tuesday  during a public affairs programme on Channels Television, which was monitored by our correspondent.
Fasola said, “We have had an unusual supply of nature’s gift this year. I empathize with people struggling to protect their assets at this challenging time.
“But the insinuation that the Eko Atlantic City project is the cause of the floods is untrue. It is an uninformed and erroneous view.”
Fashola explained that the theory behind the    project was to  reclaim the land that had been taken by the sea, which he said was logical.
He said, “What we are simply doing is to restore the shoreline to where it was before. It is like saying ‘give me back what you took’.”
Fashola added that the project was being handled by the best hands in the world.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, on Tuesday said the floods  were not peculiar to the state.
It added that the  investment of the government  in the construction and expansion of canals  had mitigated the  effects.
This was contained in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe.
It said, “What is happening now is a global phenomenon. We appeal to Lagosians and commend them for their understanding.”