Osun Community Hit By Flood Three Months After Seeking Govt Intervention
Residents of Irewunmi community in Bintinlaye, Owode-Ede, Ede South Local Government Area of Osun State have again sought the intervention of the state government over the recent flooding that hit the area after a torrential rainfall last weekend.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the flood is caused by nearby road construction.
The community said that water channels are being diverted into the area by the contractors handling the road construction without proper consideration, leading to flooding.
This is coming three months after the community raised the alarm over the environmental hazards of the water channel.
They complained that there is no river in the community to connect the water to allow free flow, adding that the diversion of the water channel would endanger the community, as many houses would be affected by flooding during the rainy season.
The community requested assistance from the government to address the infrastructure-related dangers.
“We appeal to our amiable Governor to please consider our plights. We have been living in panic since the rain started. We foresaw this problem and we thought the government would address it before the rainy season. We warned the contractor to channelize the drainage.
“Before now, we were experiencing flooding in this community but the situation has gotten worse with this diversion. We are not against it but there is no river nor stream to connect it with.”
But the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, told OSUN DEFENDER that action will be taken on the matter.
Adejorin stated this in a WhatsApp message sent to our correspondent.
“Noted for actions. I will contact the Ministry of Works to take the first precautions and we can now work on it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Environment, has alerted some states, including Osun to likely heavy rainfall, which may lead to flooding.
In a statement signed by the Ministry Director of Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone, Usman Bokani, the FG listed the states to include, Osun, Adamawa, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Oyo, Plateau and Taraba.
The statement, which urged relevant stakeholders to take note, said the flooding will likely occur between April 13 and April 17.
It named areas which may experience the heavy rainfall in the state to include” Adamawa – Ganye, Gbajili; Enugu – Nsukka; Kaduna State – Buruku, Kachia, Kaduna, Kafanchan; Kogi – Ibaji; Kwara – Bode-Sadu, Ilorin.”
Others are, “Niger – Chanchaga, Minna, Sarkin Pawa; Osun – Ilesa, Iragbiji, Oshogbo, Otan Ayegbaju; Oyo-Apata-Ibadan, Bodija-Ibadan, Challenge-Ibadan, Eleyele-Ibadan, Moniya-Ibadan, Odo Ona-Ibadan, Ojoo-Ibadan, Oyo;
Plateau – Bukuru; Taraba State – Serti.”
The state government has assured residents that preventive measures have been taken to contain the prediction.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
