Ravaged by flood and poverty, Ogun communities snub relocation order

Many residents living in flood-prone communities in Ogun have shunned the order by the government for relocation to safer places.

Pa Rabiu Adebowale, an 80-year-old panel beater, looked frail and dejected as our reporter approached him, sitting in front of his bungalow at the flood ravaged Ijeun Titun area of Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Half of the roof of the building has been blown off with the structure, located at a river bank, now at the mercy of a gully. Yet, Adebowale and his wife, Sherifatu lived there.

Any day it rains, most especially overnight, the compound is usually taken over by flood. Hence, the septuagenarian is left with a herculean task to regularly sand fill the compound for easy entry and exit.

“That area sinks, take the other side,” he cautioned our reporter, as he steps into the compound. He had just sand-filled the compound flooded by an overnight downpour.

The septuagenarian is one of the residents living in flood-prone areas who had been ordered to relocate to safer places to avert flood disaster.  However, they are adamant as they have nowhere to go.

In June, the state government directed residents of flood-prone and wetland areas across about 24 communities to relocate temporarily as part of moves to avert flood disaster. Farmers were also asked to round off harvesting before September.

Three months after the relocation order, Eko Trust visited some of the threatened areas and discovered that while a handful of the residents have abandoned their houses for safer places, many of them have stayed put, citing financial incapacity.

Some of the places visited were Ijaye, Ijeun Tuntun, Isale-Oja, Kuto, Amolaso, Ijeja, Adedotun, Ago-Ika, Enugada, Totoro, Onikoko, all in Abeokuta.

Our correspondent observed that a number of the houses marked for relocation were directly behind a water drainage channel that passes through Ijeun-Titun  to Isale Oja, Amolaso, Sokori and channelled to the popular Ogun River in Akinolugbade area of Abeokuta.

Pa Adebowale admitted that the government had asked them to vacate the areas.

“We have been managing like this for a long time because there is no alternative. I live in this house with my wife. My children are grown ups and are on their own. The government should please help us,” noted Pa Adebowale, who said he built the bungalow in 1960.

A resident, John David said “There is no money to relocate. That’s why I am still staying in this house.”

For Saburi Odenike, 55 years old, he alongside other tenants have vacated the house they lived in for another location.

At Ago-Ijesha, Taiwo Ashiru, in his 40s, accused government of failing to fulfil its promises when flood disaster killed and destroyed properties in 2018.