Rainstorm: Oyo govt assures of supporting University of Ibadan

DEPUTY Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo has expressed the commitment of the state government to supporting the management of the University of Ibadan to recover what was lost in the rainstorm which wreaked havoc in the institution last Friday.

Adeyemo gave this assurance on Tuesday during a tour of the institution to assess the extent of damage caused by the rainstorm.

Friday’s rainstorm had seen the rainstorm fell trees and remove the rooftops of some buildings at Tedder Hall, International School and the department of social and environmental forestry.

Speaking, Adeyemo called on the management of the University to document the report of damaged properties, assuring that the state government would liaise with the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) to render some assistance to the University.

While expressing happiness that no life was lost in the incident, Adeyemo advised the school management to see to the maintenance of their ageing buildings, especially those built in the 1960s, so as to avoid disaster.

Furthermore, Adeyemo appealed to well-to-do individuals, philanthropic organisations and members of the institution’s alumni association to assist the school in making up its loss.

In his earlier remarks, the Vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka appealed to both the federal and the state governments to come to the aid of the institution to enable the students to continue to learn under conducive environments.

While thanking God that no life was lost, he noted that properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the incident.

He said the institution would take necessary steps to ensure that academic programmes were not disrupted.

Also speaking on the occasion, the secretary of OYSEMA, Mr Akin Makinde advised the inhabitants of the state government to maintain their ageing buildings and as well as cut trees branches near their houses.

He reminded them of the prediction of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) that there would be a heavy flood this year.

Adeyemo was accompanied on the tour by the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Alhaji Olalekan Alli; Commissioner for Environment, Chief Isaac Ishola, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adeniyi Olowofela and others.