Oyo government alerts residents on looming flood disaster

The Oyo State Government, on Wednesday, urged residents of the state, especially those in flood-prone local government areas, to take precautionary measures in respect of the flood alert from the administration.

The state government, which spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, stated that every necessary step must be taken to avoid disaster.

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According to her, to forestall flooding and its attendant effects, residents of the state, especially those in Ona Ara, Lagelu, Oyo East, Kajola, Egbeda, Ogbomoso South, Iseyin, Ibarapa North, Ibadan South-West, Ibadan North-West and Ibadan South-East local government areas, were required to clear surrounding and street drain channels and avoid dumping wastes improperly.

“It is even of paramount importance that our people should take necessary precautions during heavy rainfall or in the event of flooding.

“People living in houses built along floodplains should relocate to safer places, avoid the use of low bridges and culverts when the rain is persistent, and whenever there is rainfall, people should avoid staying under high tension electricity installations,” she said.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the SSG as adding that residents must also ensure “that each household keeps a dustbin and patronizes government-approved waste disposal contractors, avoid building on floodplains, obtain building approvals from relevant statutory bodies before commencing building, among others.”

Mrs. Adeosun stated that, as part of efforts to put an end to the menace of flooding in the state, the government had given its full backing to the total implementation of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, ( IUFMP), the state-owned flood risk mitigation project, with funding and technical assistance from the World Bank.

She noted that the project had constructed ultramodern hydraulic structures at 17 locations in Ibadan as well as construction of extensive drains/adjoining roads to the structures, adding that the rehabilitation of the 78-year-old Eleyele Dam recently commissioned by the governor was also part of the efforts to contain flooding.

According to the SSG, the warning alert became imperative following the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) and Seasonal Rainfall Predictions (SRP) released by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) respectively, which, she said, signposted the state among those prone to some extent of flooding in 2020.