5th October, 2011
If urgent steps are not taken by the leadership of Ijebu -Ode Local Government Area of Ogun state, southwest Nigeria, flood will cause severe damage in the area.
After yesterday’s heavy rain in Ijebu-Ode, causing severe flooding, many motorists this morning were seen removing their vehicles which got stuck on the flooded roads.
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the victims who simply identified himself as Baba Olumide, disclosed that the condition of many roads in the town is nothing to write home about, wondering what the local government is doing to fix them back.
According to him,” this is a great disgrace to a city like Ijebu -Ode which is expecting a state status. As I am talking to you, there are no good roads in the whole town and they will be saying, it is a big city. Big city with bad roads? My car got spoilt here in this flood and almost six cars were also seen having same problem. I don’t know what all the past chairmen have been doing, the caretaker chairman there now is a novice, he knows nothing about administration.
“Imagine what people experienced around this town. It was unbearable. The government should see to this flood matter, it has been the problem of Ijebu- Ode for many years. I think the ACN government should bail us out before it turns to Omiyale like that of Ibadan.”
Another victim who lamented that she was trapped in the flood for almost seven hours wondered what the present government is doing to assist in fixing the flood problem in Ijebu-Ode.
Chief (Mrs) Aderonke Omotola said,”I don’t know how to explain this. Is this the same Ijebu-Ode we grew up in? Our politicians now are not alive to their responsibilities and bad leadership has been our problem here. Some people who have no good background have been ruling us and when they get there, their mission is to amass wealth for themselves. There no good roads in all parts of this town and some people are saying they are our leaders, God will judge them. I was in the rain yesterday for over hours when my car got spoilt in the flood. Please, I don’t want to talk again. I am highly disappointed in all the past and present leadership of the council. They are all failures.”
When our correspondent moved round the town yesterday after the rain, the entire town was flooded. This caused traffic gridlock in the town.
Major roads such as Oyingbo, Obalende, Italapo junction, Ejinrin road, Talbot road, Imowo road, Omo-Owo road, Ondo road by Epe motor parks and other areas.
Investigations revealed that most of the roads have big potholes all over because of lack of drainage channels in the town.
An Environmentalist, Engr. John Odugbemi told our correspondent that the government is sharing part of the blame while the people also have their own share.
“The government is not helpingg matters at all. They have been compounding the problem every time we have a change in the government. Governance should be a continuity and the square pegs should be put in square holes. This has been the problem with the government.
“On the part of the people, any time that it is about to rain, they will go and dump their refuse in the gutter and the gutters which are not so much spacious and deep, will be blocked.
We must all join hands to tackle this problem. The government must live up to its responsibility by providing basic infrastructure like good roads, potable water, health facilities and security to the people.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the government proved abortive as the Council Chairman, Alhaji Raheem Sarumi was not around when our correspondent called in his office, while the Director of Environment in the local government, Alhaji Okubena was quoted to have said that he is not available to speak with any reporter.
—Abiodun Onafuye, Ijebu- Ode