PDP chides Oyetola, APC over perennial flood in Osun

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), on Sunday took a swipe at Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his All Progressives Congress (APC) led government in Osun over the incessant flooding of virtually all known cities, villages, towns and hamlets in Osun state in recent times.

In a press statement signed by the deputy national publicity secretary of the PDP, Prince Diran Odeyemi, the party expressed disgust at the helplessness of the citizens who have been experiencing great losses in properties and farm produce due to devastating floods everywhere in the state.

The PDP lamented the reckless abandon with which the APC government handles serious situations of grave concern in the state especially those avoidable possible causes of natural disaster “which any responsible government would have taken seriously”.

According to Odeyemi, “If we tell them the truth they will misunderstand it as  criticising their government, do we now keep quiet over the mismanagement of funds, imaginary and non-existent performance and expect us to applaud it” pointing to the waterlogged Dada Estate road, around Capital Hotel, in Osogbo which completely cut off Dada Estate from getting to Okefia and other parts of Osogbo metropolis in the last few days.

He also cited the flooding of Odo Osun along Otan-Ile/Ilare road, Ijebujesa/Ere/Ibokun road, Road 7 in Obafemi Awolowo University/ OAU Teaching Hospital road in Ile-Ife, Mayfair/Ede road on the way to OAU main gate in Ile-Ife and Iwo/Osogbo, Ejigbo/Ede road in Osogbo, Akinola/Opekete hotel road in Ipetumodu and many other places too numerous to mention.

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Odeyemi added that: “the situation has been piling up since the beginning of APC government in Osun state in 2010 and all that we hear is plans to expand drainage and control erosion and a few metres on the left and right sides of the road were always commissioned and later abandoned.”

He also accused APC of running their government on window dressing style cited an example of such fake flood control which was launched with fanfare and millions wasted along Ibokun which was abandoned till today.

Reacting over the PDP’s position, the director of publicity, research and strategy of APC in Osun, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi said: “the PDP should bury their heads in shame. Osun, particularly Osogbo has not places where you sleep with your two eyes closed as far flood was concerned some ten years ago. The way and manner the APC government met Osun, if we were to leave it that way, Osogbo would have been swept away by Osun river.”

He stated: “everybody in the state applauded the efforts of Governor Rauf Aregbesola at that time. They were all witness to the efforts of the government clearing waterways and making sure that the flood-prone places were secured properly.

“So what is the PDP talking about. Were they not in government before us? What did they do? Instead of doing the right thing, they were asking the people whether it was flooding that first came to their area or the flood came to meet them there.

“What stupid things are they saying now? The government of APC has been very proactive and progressive. The people of the state are all witnesses to our achievements. It is unfair and uncharitable for the PDP to be releasing stupid statement alleging that we didn’t do what we ought to have done. Apart from that, the whole nation witnesses extraordinary rain this year. Nobody is blaming anyone, it is the work of nature. It happened in Lagos, Kano, Jigawa and everywhere,” Oyatomi remarked.