Owu-kuta: Downpour brings ruin to Osun community

The palace of the Olowu of Owu-Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude is currently playing host to friends and well-wishers of the traditional ruler on sympathy visit following the rage of windstorm which wrecked a section of his palace last Thursday.

Multi-million valuables, which included luxury automobiles and exquisite furniture of Oba Oyelude, suffered different degrees of damage described as unprecedented since he ascended to the throne of his forefathers in 2013.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that sign of the destructive rainfall descended onto the entire ancient town some minutes earlier when an unusually dark cloud suddenly enveloped the sky at about 3:30 pm, thereby causing anxiety among the residents.

While the people inside their respective homes were fervently offering prayer for a peaceful rainfall which would bring a relief to their sunburn bodies, what they had was a rage of windstorm, violently removing roofs of residential and public buildings. The windstorm did not also spare electricity poles through which power is supplied to the town.

It was also uprooting trees to further unsettle the ancient people some of whom explained the incident from spiritual perspective. This category of people argued that the disaster was a bad sign from some forces.

The Ajiroba of Kuta, Chief Adedayo Adesoye could have been among the few lucky ones as the roof of his house survived the windstorm. But the wind carried roof of another house onto his own, causing a slight damage. “Also the house where my mother stays was affected. It is not a pleasant experience in this town because we never experienced it since I was born. Our prayer is to not have similar experience,” he explained.

However, the Olowu dismissed the argument on the premise that it was a natural disaster which dis not occur in his domain alone but extended to neighbouring communities like Ikoyi and Iwo. In Iwo, a popular place known as Odori was most hit by the disaster as a metal contained was said to have fallen. Also in Ikoyi, a public school had its roof blown off.

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“There is nothing like the windstorm being caused by spiritual factor or act by certain forces. There is nothing like that in this 21st Century. The incident is a pure natural disaster which can occur anywhere. Just take a look at this place well and tell me the number of trees standing here. This is an open place which needs trees to shield the buildings from heavy winds as we just experienced. The world has developed beyond attributing every bad occurrence to the gods or anger by the ancestors.

“If the ancestors have the opportunity of returning to the world, they would not want to do things the way they did it in their first coming. What I am saying is that an incident like this is simply a wake-up call and a reminder that we should endeavor to plant trees. This deforestation is counter-productive despite the fact that it is evidence of development. But when we cut trees in the forest we should always endeavor to plant more,” he said.

It was learnt that the Chairman of Ayedire Local Government, Otunba Mukaila Oladejo was prompt in his response to the incident. Aside that he took a tour round the town, he also took the matter to the Osun State Government in Osogbo.

Oladejo’s efforts are said to be yielding desired fruit with a visit by a team from Osun State Emergency Relief Agency to the town. The team also went round the town and did assessment of the situation with a view to providing a relief to the displaced people. The state government response has already relieved Oba Oyelude who is worried by the state of his people affected by the incident.

“I am very pleased to tell you that what the state government has done through the emergency relief agency has raised hope of the affected people. Seeing the officials from Osogbo moving from one street to another gave my people a psychological boost. At least, they saw that government has sympathy for them, and something would come to relief them of the pains. I am expressing my appreciation to our Governor Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola for this proactive measure to that natural disaster,” he said.

In addition, a team of military personnel from Engineering Construction Regiment, Ede, Osun State also had a stop-over in the palace. Led by General A.O. Agboola, the soldiers were in the town to inspect the long abandoned Kuta-Ede road bridge. General Agboola described the incident as monumental disaster and commiserated with Oba Oyelude whom he later presented with a gift. The traditional ruler, in return, presented a gift to his uniform guest and wished them well in the ongoing construction of the bridge.

The Agba-Akin of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abass Akande was not left out among callers to the Olowu’s palace. The Fuji music star departed from his Lagos State base for Kuta on Sunday morning during which he also walked round the town amidst residents’ applause who trooped out to welcome him to the town.

“There is no way I would read this sad news without rushing down because Kuta is another home for me. Honestly, I am not happy that I am back here to sympathise with our Kabiyesi after my installation last month. But I am happy that there is no life lost during the disaster. I have a strong belief that when there is life, property is not as important. I pray that the Kabiyesi and the people of Kuta would not witness such disaster again,” he remarked.

Remarkably, since Thursday when the windstorm broke and destroyed some electricity poles, the whole town has lost its night life with darkness descending as soon as the Sun set in the evening. Only those who have alternative power supply in generators are currently enjoying some hours of brightness at night.

The Olowu seized the offered by the incident to call on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to borrow a leaf from advanced countries of the world where natural disasters are forecast, and precaution measures against large scale destruction prevented.

“NIMET is saddled with that responsibility to guide us on the behaviour of the weather. We all know that the entire world is experiencing climatic change. That is more reason the agency should always update us so that we prepare before calamity comes,” he said.