Over three hundred (300) houses were affected by the flood that ravaged some parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has said.
Zonal Coordinator NEMA Southwest, Mr. Yakubu Sulaimon made the disclosure during an inspection of the affected areas in company of Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo on Wednesday.
Places visited during the inspection include Orogun, Shasha Alfonso, Egberi and Oki Rivers in Olodo, and Onipepeye.
Sulaimon said the agency visited the state capital to gather first-hand information and see the havoc did to the city by the flood.
He said the agency had provided materials to affected residents through the State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA).
The NEMA boss said his assessments had revealed loss of livelihood of many people, adding that property estimated at millions of naira were lost to the flooding.
“We have seen means of livelihood lost. Property worth millions of naira have been lost to the flood and we have made notes of all the buildings involved and the affected families. Soon, NEMA will, in its usual way, come to their aid through the state government.
“People should stop building on floodplains and they should endeavour to clear their drainages. Most of these buildings did not observe the normal 30-metre setback regulation. Town planning laws are not complied with. These are the consequences.”
Adeyemo while speaking said structures on waterways and floodplains obstructing the free flow of rivers may give way to forestall loss of lives and property to flooding in Ibadan.
He admonished residents to desist from habits that cause flooding.
He noted that the soul of every citizen and their property were precious and would be protected by the government.
Apart from the ongoing dredging of river channels, he said that other preventive measures would be taken to prevent the ugly experience of the past when flooding caused monumental loss of lives and property in Ibadan.
“When the government says don’t build on waterways or river course, some people always say that the government is wicked. This (flooding) is the result of disobedience to such directive,” he said.
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