Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has condoled with victims of rain disaster that blew off the rooftop and destroyed the walls of some buildings at Omu and Ijelu-Ekiti, two neighbouring communities in Oye Local Government Area of the state.
Oyebanji expressed sadness over the incident, as no fewer than hundreds of residents were dislodged from their residences by the stormy rain that wreaked havoc on buildings in the town.
Mostly affected were churches, educational institutions and residential buildings, including the palace of Elejelu of Ijelu-Ekiti, Oba Isaac Ajayi Adetoyinbo.
Inspecting the level of wreckage done to the structures, Oyebanji, represented by the deputy governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, sympathised with the victims, assuring that the state government will palliate their sufferings.
Oyebanji who stated that nobody died or sustained fatal injuries during the rainstorm, directed those still residing in the already affected buildings to vacate immediately so as to avert being caught in the web of sudden building collapse.
The governor appealed to residents of the community to embrace the initiative of the state government by planting trees within the radius of their residential areas in order to break the storm and avert unwarranted destruction of property during heavy downpour.
“The governor really sympathise with you. This is a sad incident. The government is coming for comprehensive assessment and enumeration. We shall surely help you to rebuild and regain what you have lost.
“We thank God that nobody died. But we are appealing to you to key into our tree planting policy. Planting trees around your houses will help in controlling storm.
“Our traditional rulers must help in sensitising our people on the need to take some precautionary measures in their council and community meetings by way of encouraging our people to plant trees around their houses. This is part of ways to prevent disaster of this nature,” the governor said.
Applauding Oyebanji for the visit, the member representing Oye constituency II in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, , Honourable Idowu Odebunmi, urged the victims not to despair, saying the state government will come to their aid.
Odebunmi said that the governor has mandated the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) office to do the enumeration of the affected structures to ascertain the level of the damage.
“Over 30 buildings were affected in the two communities with scores of people now rendered homeless.”
Making case for the victims, the Owajumu of Omu-Ekiti, Oba Adeyeye Ogundeyi, commended Governor Oyebanji for the assessment tour, revealing that about 22 houses were affected in his community, with some losing their roofs and their walls destroyed during the stormy rain.
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