Ogun Govt commences works on flood-prone areas

July 8, 2020

The Ogun Government says it has commenced palliative works in areas affected by flooding from rainfall in Abeokuta on Friday and Saturday to bring temporary relief and succour to the affected people before the government commences on permanent solution.

The state Commissioner for the Environment, Abiodun Balogun, said this while briefing journalists on Wednesday in Abeokuta.

Balogun said that the palliatives, which included fixing of failed bridges, clearance of waterways and dredging of the water channels, were ongoing in about 16 areas across the metropolis.

Describing the downpour as massive with adverse effects. Balogun said the damages caused by the flood would have been uncontrollable, but for continuous dredging of waterways in the state.

“Though the present administration is not interested in demolishing people’s houses, but some structures will have to give way.

” Before we demolish any building, which of course will be the last resort, we will talk to those whose structures are around the canal on the need to remove them,” he said.

Balogun assured that regular dredging, conversion of some culverts which have outlived their usefulness to bridges and distilling of drainages would be carried out to allow for free-flow of the drains whenever it rained.

He said that engineers from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and staff from his ministry had assessed the extent of damage by the flood, adding that the report would be useful in developing lasting solutions to the problem.

The commissioner stressed the need for residents to properly dispose their wastes instead of dumping them on waterways to prevent flooding.

The areas worst hit by the flooding in Abeokuta includes; Kuto, Isale-Igbein, Lanfewa, Amolaso, Ijeun-Titun and Ago-Ijesa.

Other areas are Abiola Way, Isale Abetu, Sokori, Igbore, Oke-Mosan, Isale Ake and Adigbe.