Canoe Owners Make Huge Profits In Flooded Communities As RAIN WRECKS HAVOC Across Lagos State

The floods which accompanied Thursday’s [June 28] downpour provided an opportunity for canoe owners to charge exorbitant fees for desperate residents to get to work. Punch correspondent, who visited Omojuwa Estate, Ikosi/Isheri Local Council Development Area, Lagos, observed that scores of residents queued up to patronise the canoes in order to get to dry land. The area, which is located on a lowland, was submerged in water. Aside the canoes, some youths in the area also charged fares in order to ferry across desperate residents who wanted to pass the flooded area on their backs. It was learnt that the water which sacked many residents, paralysed activities in the area as many school children, were seen swimming and playing other water sports. Akeem Akinloye, one of the youths who gave Punch correspondent a ride on his back, said he had made enough money than he had made in a while. He said: “I charge N200 to carry people on my back and today I have carried over 15 people. Who knows, may be before the end of today I may have carried over 30 people and make over N5,000”. “I’m unemployed and I usually sell recharge cards which does not fetch me more than N1,000 in a day. The rain and flood seem to be a bles

sing in disguise.”hannytalker