Residents in the Lagbeja community and its environs in the Akinyele local government area of Oyo State were left stranded due to a flood at the entrance of the community.
Though the residents noted that flood was a yearly occurrence, they said that last week’s flood was the most terrible witnessed.
The flooded road connects Lagbeja, Oluana, Akingbile through Laniba to Ajibode along International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Moniya Road, Power line, and Fijabi among 15 other settlements.
Several residents said they suspected that the flood in the area came from water from the Moniya-Iseyin road, Olorisa-Oko, and Onikankan areas in Akinyele local government.
In conversations with the Tribune Online, the residents said there was a need for the state government to raise the bridge and erect culverts that can cope with the volume of water flowing through the area.
On his part, Public Relations Officer 1 of the Lagbeja community, Mr Abiodun Olusola said there could have been human casualties if the flood occurred at night.
Owing to uncertainty, he said the community had a platform where it informs community residents of the water level whenever it rains.
Abiodun said: “We experience flooding every year but that of last week is terrible. Some government ministry people came last year and took videos and pictures and we thought the road project will make the situation better but the road they are doing is not the solution. The culverts being done along with the road cannot cope with the water. We need a well-raised bridge.
“When any heavy rain falls again, we fear that there will be flooding. Whenever it rains, we send messages on our platform to tell people about the water level. If the rain happened overnight, I am sure people will be stuck indoors.
“This time, it happened during day time and people were stuck at the entrance to the community.”
Deputy Chairman of unit 24 in the community, Mr Akinwale Abiodun said residents of the area are shocked that work that commenced on the road in the area had been stalled.
He said there was a need for the state government to assign a contractor to raise the bridge in the area.
Recounting last week’s incident, Akinwale said “We had to carry people, kids and elderly through the flood. Some of us also had to stay around cars parked overnight so that car batteries are not stolen. We have written letters to the state government. Work began on road but it has stopped and we need the government to particularly help raise the bridge.”
A staff of IITA, who is a resident of the community, Mrs Olayemi Oluwasoga lamented how she had to leave her car on the other side of the bridge till the following morning.
She questioned the efficiency of the construction work that the state government began in the area last year, noting that the contractor erected a bridge that was incapable to handle the volume of water it is faced with whenever it rains.
Oluwasoga said the road was the only main entrance that serves many communities in Lagbeja and its environs, adding that the alternative Ajibode-Mogaji route was bad, muddy and lonely.
Oluwasoga said “Sometimes late last year, the state government decided to expand the small bridge here. Rather than doing a good job, what the contractor did was dig another channel beside the existing channel where water can flow instead of raising the bridge. The volume of water that passes through the bridge is too much for the small bridge to handle.
“We have this problem every rainy season. We were managing the road situation until last week when there was so much flood coming in from Moniya, Olorisa-Oko and other parts of the Akinyele local government area. The volume of water was extremely large and too much for the bridge to handle. Residents were stranded; the flood cut off the road; nobody was able to pass.
“I had to leave my car on the other side of the bridge until the following morning and I couldn’t go to work the following day. The water level has gone down now and we are praying there is no heavy rain.”
“That is the only road that serves the community. The alternative route is going through Ajibode-Mogaji and it is a very lonely area, with no houses there. Also, the road there is bad and muddy. If you get stuck there, it might be difficult to help there.”
Speaking, another resident, Mr Azeez Akinkunle said “The bridge is not far from IITA’s fence. We have been facing this kind of issue for the past four years but this year is the worst. We expect the government to raise the bridge and extend the bridge more than they did. We are stranded.”
Furthermore, a Save our soul (SOS) from the community read “This is the main and only road serving over 6,000 people living in Lagbeja community and it is the environment in Akingbile beside IITA along Moniya, Ibadan.
“The road connects Lagbeja, Oluana, Akingbile through Laniba to Ajibode along IITA Moniya Road in Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan.
“Lagbeja via Laniba road has been under construction in this political dispensation of governor Seyi Makinde for over three years now and yet to be completed which has been giving the people residing in these communities that comprise over 17 settlements in Ibadan city difficulty.
“We, therefore, appeal to governor Seyi Makinde, the senator, representative, local government chairman and others to quickly come to our intervention in rescuing our people from this erosion that is damaging our properties and denying us access to our comfort zone. Please Save our soul.”
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