Oyo State Assures Residents of Quick Flood Intervention, Palliative Measures 

The Oyo State Government has assured residents of the areas affected by flood in Ibadan of quick intervention, alternative routes and other palliative measures to ease their movement.

The state’s inspection team from the Ministries of Works and Environment, the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the sites of the collapsed bridges and roads at the Olodo Garage, Ido and Akinyele in Ibadan, to have a proper assessment of the situation.

On behalf of the State Government, the team leader and Permanent Secretary (PS), Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Modupe Adeleye, sympathised with the victims of the flood, stating that the government was aware of their plight and would take speedy actions to allay their fears.

Adeleye said: “There are palliatives that the government will put in place for now to allay the fears of the people. So, the team went around to look for alternative routes because this place (Olodo Bridge) needs to be shut down for now to prevent loss of lives and properties because it is a very risky zone.

“The suggestion now is that we should shut down and look for alternative routes for people to do their businesses and so far, the best route that we found is about five (5) kilometers. It spans from Wofun Junction through Kute to Olodo Bank. That will be the alternative route where the government will take a palliative measure for now,” she disclosed.

The PS appealed to the residents to cooperate with the government, stating that the government would expedite action both on the ongoing construction works and the palliative on the alternative routes and that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) would soon embark on the enumeration of houses wrecked by the flood.

Adeleye, who advised residents of the state to move away from flooded areas and stop building houses on setbacks and river banks, stressed that defiance of the warning poses dangers to their lives and property.

Similarly, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, revealed that the government had started giving palliatives to the residents affected by the flood, saying the government had decided to shut down the Olodo bridge because it is already weak, and would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the incident did not leave the residents worse off.

Olanrewaju stated: “It is unfortunate that this happened. But, let’s not forget that the road is a Federal road that Oyo State government has taken up to fix. Immediately we got wind of the collapsed bridge, the governor deployed people to assess the situation so that the state will know how to address the situation.”

The Chairman of Egbeda Local Government Area, Mr Sikiru Sanda, who was also at the scene earlier to coordinate activities, said efforts would be made by the state government to ensure palliatives and alternative routes to ease the burden.

Residents of the communities, Yinka Ibraheem and Augustine Adepetu, in their separate reactions, expressed worry about the devastating impact the rain has left on people and commuters plying the road, lamenting that their ultimate worry is how soon, how far and how swiftly the government would respond to the situation to ease their burdens.

Dominica Nwabufo