…Oyetola blames residents over indiscriminate refuse dump
Two persons have been declared dead as a result of serious flooding which came after eight hours of heavy downpours in Osogbo .
The flood also rendered many homeless.
NPO correspondent reports that the rains which started about 8pm Tuesday continued till about 12 midnight stopped until it started again around 4am.
Consequently many parts of the state capital were submerged in water as residents relocated from worse hit areas to safer areas of the metropolis.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola Wednesday afternoon went on tour of the affected areas to see the level of damage.
It was gathered that at least two persons died while two others were rescued from being washed away by the heavy torrent.
NPO Reports correpondent also reports that a section of the Government House fence was pulled down by the heavy downpours.
Reconstruction works were said to have been ordered by the Governor.
Governor Oyetola, who spoke during an on-the-spot assessment and inspection tour to some affected areas in the State, also urged residents to stop indiscriminate refuse disposal in the State.
He said the flood was caused largely by residents engaged in dumping of refuse which he said blocked the drainage and waterways blockage.
Oyetola expressed sympathy over the incident and assured that necessary steps would be taken to address the situation as relevant agencies, including emergency response and disaster management teams had been contacted.
Addressing residents of Alie community in Olorunda Local Government Area of the State, Oyetola called for attitudinal change to environment management by the residents.
He said the time had come for residents to adhere strictly to environmental safety tips, saying this remained the only way to permanently put an end to the menace.
“I went round to see things for myself and I’ve seen that the damage was much. We have seen areas requiring interventions like dredging activities. This, we will attend to with immediate effect.
“I sympathise with the residents of the various communities troubled by flood. The rain was indeed torrential, and that informed our tour around the capital city to assess the impact.
“I sincerely sympathise with our people who have lost property to the flood. It was unfortunate, especially as it didn’t spare any quarter.
“From our observation, some of the waterways had blockages due to indiscriminate waste disposal by residents. In some cases, some people have mounted structures (either residential or business) on water passages.
“What we must realise is that water will always find a path for itself. Water can never be hindered, hence the need to always accord it its right of passage.
“What we are concerned about is the safety of our citizens. At this stage, we are not so much bothered about the location of the incident, whether it is a state road or federal road. What matters to us is the safety of the lives and property of our citizens,” Oyetola said.
Some of the areas visited by the Governor were Oke-Ijetu area, Alie comm
NPOReports
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