The Osun State government has promised to intensify efforts to ensure that waterways are cleared to avert a recurrence of flooding that led to the death of one person and destruction of property.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs Titilayo Tomori-Laoye, made the promise on Wednesday evening when they visited some of the areas affected by the flood to commiserate with them.
Addressing reporters at the Cac Oke Igbala DCC Headquarters in Gbonmi area of Osogbo, Governor Aregbesola said his administration was deeply sorry for the loss of life and property of the people.
Regularly Desilting Waterways
The Governor urged the residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which he said was largely responsible for the flooding.
He said his administration had in time past invested so much in dredging the major waterways identified as flood prone zones to avert such occurrence.
Governor Aregbesola, however, promised that his government would intensify efforts at ensuring that the waterways were made free to avert future occurrence.
“We have been very much committed to ensuring absence of this calamity.
“Since the advent of the administration, we have been regularly desilting the waterways on an annual basis.
He said that although the state had received a flood alert, the government had, considering its deflooding efforts, it never expected it to have the devastating effect.
It had rained heavily for hours in Osogbo the capital of Osun State, resulting to flooding of some communities.
Residents said help that came from the emergency agencies or the state authorities was late.
Channels Television’s correspondent, who returned to the scene of the incident, said residents property have been destroyed and the flooding has left one person dead.
A woman and her daughter were trapped in a store just as many of the residents around one of the communities were stranded after a bridge collapsed.
One of the residents affected said the cause of the flooding was a bridge that they said drainages within the area were channeled, which they insisted was too low.
“The government should break down that bridge and carry it up just like that of Ajegunle and create a very good gutter here. That is all we need,” he requested.
