Ekiti soil creep disaster

Sam Nwaoko reports a recent natural incident in Okemesi community of Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, residents’ apprehension and the views of various stakeholders. 

As September was approaching its denouement, the rains made a heavy presence in parts of Ekiti State. In Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, heavy rains were nearly a daily occurrence in the town, with residents telling of their experiences each evening. Sometimes, when someone told of how the rains came down heavily in his part of the town, others would wonder if they were in the same town.

Such was the magnitude and unpredictability of the rains in the state as the month wound up, and such were the reports received from various parts of the state. It was gratifying that the state’s Ministry of Environment under Chief Bisi Kolawole as Commissioner, had carried out the dredging of main water channels in the state capital and this prevented the usual flooding and sundry disasters such rains cause in Ado Ekiti.

Earlier, there was no stopping of the flood that followed the heavy downpour of July 23. The Elemi River was filled and the excess water had caused havoc in parts of the government residential area in Afao road. The bridge across the river at Ayemi Garage area of Iworoko Road in the town had also been flooded and had claimed the life of a 33-year-old commercial motorcyclist, whose name was given as Victor Ajeniyi, in the evening of the day. He had allegedly dared the flood but was unfortunately swept away with his motorcycle, when he was said to have attempted to navigate the flood. His body was found the day after.

As undesirable as the death of Mr. Ajeniyi was, it was deemed the usual occurrence in cases of flooding and sundry disasters after heavy downpour. And this incident was about the only such recorded in 2017, in the state until the September rains gave a new direction in the reports that follow heavy rains.

That is the reason why the reports that filtered in from Okemesi community in Ekiti West Local Government Area, after about three days of rains, was worrisome. Initial hints were that the community had experienced mudslide, while some were of the opinion that it was just flooding. Some still referred to it as an act of “the unappeased, angry gods of Okemesi” while some others were extreme in their description of the incident: “The hills had been washed down.” However, there was an incident that followed the late September rains in Okemesi and it must be made known.

It was found that the community had experienced what scientists refer to as “Downhill Creep” or “Soil Creep” or commonly “creep”. The scientists defined the phenomenon as “the slow, downward progression of rock and soil down a low grade slope.” They also said it could be referred to as the “slow deformation of such materials as a result of prolonged pressure and stress.”

The people living at the foot of the legendary Oke Agbonna that is synonymous with Okemesi have experienced all that the scientists described. The soil had “creeped” in on them following the rains and, to many of them it was unexpected.

An indigene of the community, Mr. Noah Idowu, said what he initially felt was that there must have been “some form of anger by the god of Agbonna Hill.” According to him, he felt that way because “this is a hill we have been living under for centuries and one which has provided shelter for us and our visitors for ages. Why the sudden occurrence?”

Idowu, however said the description of the soil creep, and its effect on the community were “acceptable” to him because “sometimes you just can’t explain some things.” Idowu was not alone in what he said was his “confusion about the whole thing.”

The Owa Ooye of Okemesi, Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji Gbadebo, after the incident at the most affected neighbourhood, Eleyinmi, pointed out when he received a government delegation in his palace, that people in the community we already attributing it to a deed of the heavenly beings. Oba Gbadebo, while receiving a delegation led by the Deputy Governor of the state, Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, which visited the community after the incident, said not a few people in Okemesi believed was an act of the gods, saying people were already alluding spirituality to the soil creep.

Oba Gbadebo said: “What happened had once happened in 1973, but nothing was done by the government then. The creep also occurred in recent times but not of this magnitude. I plead with your excellency, the Governor to help us expand the mountain base (Eleyinmi).”

The Owa Ooye said “If the base is expanded and a channel is created, a channel is there already but needed to be expanded, once it is expanded, whenever a creepnoccurs, the water and debris will have a place to move to. As it is now, God forbid, if it happens before the expansion, it is most likely to be disastrous.”

According to the monarch, relevant stakeholders in the town had noted that there was the need for something to be done about the drainage in the community. “We have observed that there is a need for extensive drainage to allow water gushing out of the rock have a passage in a way that will not do any damage to the community at large. We trust God that despite paucity of fund, something will be done.”

The traditional ruler thanked the state government for its quick response and intervention in the disaster and expressed delight at the quality of the team that came and the thoroughness of its assessment. He even held the contention that, no doubt that what befell Oke Agboona in form of a disaster

will turn out to be a source of infrastructural blessing to Okemesi.

In the team led by the Professor Olusola were the Commissioner for Environment, Chief Bisi Kolawole; the member representing Ekiti West II in the House of Assembly, Mr Sina Animasaun and the special assistant to Governor Ayodele Fayose on Public Communications and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, who is are both indigenes of the town.

Professor Olusola delivered the governor’s message and stressed that the state government harboured “the desire to do all it can to prevent loss of lives and properties.” The deputy governor and his team had toured the affected areas of the community by foot, before arriving at the palace of the Owa Ooye.

Prof. Olusola, who congratulated Oba Adedeji and the entire people of Okemesi that no life was lost as a result of the disaster, promised that the government will hold a meeting with the Kabiyesi and stakeholders in Okemesi Ekiti on how to minimise the effect in future.

Professor Olusola said: “Governor Fayose sent us here to commiserate with residents whose properties were destroyed by this large magnitude soil creep. There will be a meeting with stakeholders on how to mitigate its effects if the natural phenomenon occurs again in the future.”

He however warned that “experts have said there is likelihood of a re-ocurrence, though it’s painful that properties were lost and relocating is not expected to be easy, we need to adhere to their advice that we stay 300 metres away from the hill.”

The deputy governor said it was better to heed the advice and warnings by experts, saying “far beyond rituals and sacrifice, we have to hearken to professional advice, obedience is better than sacrifice.”

Experts have said that the likelihood of a reoccurrence of the creep was high, just as the Owa Ooye had noted that the incident of September 21 was not the first. The state government has charged people resident around the foot of the Agbonna Hills to move away to safety and urged them to obey rather than sacrifice to the gods of Oke Agbonna; while the traditional ruler of the community has also suggested an expansion of an existing drainage in the area.

It is yet gratifying that no life was lost in the incident, although property worth millions of naira was swept away by the creep. The three-day rains preceding the creep of early hours of Thursday, September 21, may seem far away, but something must be done by the various stakeholders and the government to nip a reoccurrence in the bud.

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