Flooding: Ekiti to spend N334m to dredge 20,000m waterways

Ekiti State government is to spend the sum N334 million to dredge waterways to prevent reoccurrence of flooding that ravaged some areas in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, and other towns during this year’s raining season.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this was made known in Ado Ekiti on Monday, after the State Executive Council meeting.

The state Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Chief Muyiwa Olumilua, who briefed newsmen after the meeting, said the council also gave approval for the procurement of customised safe delivery kits worth N54 million.

He said that the kits would be distributed to pregnant women across all the 16 local government areas of the state.

Olumilua said: “The dredging of the waterways was to alleviate the suffering of the inhabitants of some critical areas in the state capital.

He listed the areas to be dredged to include Obala-Balemo-Elemi, Ita Eku-Poly road-Eminrin, Omisanjana-Ureje-133kva, Awajin-Ureje road and Ireakari-Ilawe road, all totalling 18,500 metres.

The commissioner said that the projects, which would cost N194.5 million, would be delivered within 12 weeks.

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He added that due to perennial flooding that hit Ikere-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere local government this year, the government would also dredge the Osun stream channel, construct concrete channel at Temidire and reconstruct the failed culvert at Ajolagun, all at the cost of N140 million.

NAN recalls that some sections of Ado-Ekiti, such as like Ita Eku, Ureje, Eminrin, Embassy Island and others were submerged by flood in September, leading to the collapse of Ureje bridge on Ado-Ijan-Ikare road.

The Commissioner stated that the council also approved the completion of Phase V of the state secretariat complex at the cost of N621 million, saying that it would be delivered within six months.

He added that the council deliberated and approved the ‘Ekiti State Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Bill, 2019’ to deal with matters affecting those suffering from all manners of neglect in the state.

Olumilua said that the council also approved the ‘Ekiti State Housing Corporation Bill, 2019’ to deal with issues of housing in the state.

NAN