The Ondo State Acting Governor, Hon Lucky Ayedatiwa, on Sunday visited some flood-ravaged areas in the state capital, Akure, following a torrential downpour that started on Friday afternoon and lasted until several hours of Saturday, resulting in a flood that affected several areas in the town.
Ayedatiwa expressed sympathy for the victims affected by the devastating flood in the capital city. He said the state government feels their pain and suffering and assured them of government intervention and long-term strategies to prevent any reoccurrence of the incident.
According to the Acting Governor, the on-the-spot assessment became necessary for possible intervention and to sympathize with the affected residents, as the government has a responsibility to take care of the people’s welfare.
He called on the relevant agencies in charge to clean up the canals in the state to ensure they remain clean while charging residents to desist from dumping waste in the canals.
Aiyedatiwa enjoined residents to avoid dumping waste into drains, streams, or rivers, urging them to patronize the State Waste Management Authority and the Private Sector Participants to ensure a flood-free environment.
He appealed to residents to always embrace good environmental habits, stating that the government was taking steps to contain flooding in the state.
“I decided to come around so as to assess the extent of the havoc caused by the flood. We will do the needful to ensure safety by involving the officials of the Ministry of Works and Environment to clear all these canals.
We shall do everything to forestall future occurrences, but I want to implore people around the canal to stop disposing of refuse into the canals. The government will do everything to help and assist in clearing these canals,” he said.
The torrential downpour, which started on Friday night and lasted until several hours on Saturday, degenerated into a flood that affected several areas in the state capital.
Some of the affected areas visited include Irese-Ijare Bridge, Aye community in Irese, Ala River at Aiyedun Quarters, Akure High School area, and Ala River at Araromi Road, all in Akure.
The Acting Governor’s entourage included the member of the House of Assembly representing Akure, Hon Oluwarotimi Abitogun, Chairman of Akure South Local Government, Hon Gbenga Olaniyi, Chairman/CEO ZL Global, Dr Abiola Bashorun, Secretary, Ondo State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA), Mr Femi Obideyi, among others.
Meanwhile, the residents of the Irese Community in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo state, have cried for assistance from the state government to cushion the effect of the flood in the area, saying most buildings in the area had been submerged with flood.
They lamented that the residents are currently having a tough time accessing their homes and other communities around them as flood washes away the bridge connecting them to other communities.
Speaking, the Olu of Irese town, Oba Ahmed Saka, disclosed that the road leading to the community had been taken over by potholes while vehicles taking goods and farm products to town have stopped plying the roads.
The monarch, who expressed worries over the danger of plying the road during the rainy season because of the flood, said the incessant flooding has brought untold hardship to the community.
He noted that goods and property worth millions of naira have been lost to the flood, which entered into residents’ homes and shops, noting that the development had affected the business and economic activities of the people in the area.
He appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the community by helping to fix the road and channel the water properly to avoid constant flooding of the only accessible road to the town.
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