Ondo Town Flooded, Residents Cry Out For Help
Ondo community calls for help from the government as residents battle floooding
The people of Ondo town affected by Sunday’s flood have appealed to the state government and relevant intervention agencies for assistance in mitigating the impact of the disaster. The flood, which struck several parts of the town on Friday, destroyed property valued at millions of naira. The incident occurred following several hours of heavy rainfall in the historic city. Areas severely impacted include Itanla, Oka, Odo Ijomu, Bethlehem, Akure-Ondo Motorway, and Ife Road.
An eyewitness speaking anonymously reported that many homes and vehicles were submerged, forcing residents to evacuate. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident. One of the victims, who identified herself as Mrs Ayodeji, one of the flood victims, explained how much damage the flood cost her and also called on the government for help.
Ayodeji said, “I lost a lot of items in my shop. When the flood started in the evening yesterday, it hit my shop and forcefully opened the door. Many of my wares were washed away by the floor. I am appealing to the government to assist me in refilling my shop. This is the only business I have that I use to feed my family. I need assistance.”
Also, Tolu Akinola, another occupant, narrated how the flood entered her home, damaging her valuables and academic properties. She said, “When the rain started, we were all inside, but suddenly we heard the noise from outside that the flood was entering the houses. In the next few minutes, water started gushing into our house too. So, all of us quickly rushed out.
“The water submerged the house to the window level and destroyed a lot of things, including all my documents. Everything was swept away. I am appealing to the state government and the National Emergency Management Agency to assist us. The loss is too much for us to bear.”
The President of Ekimogun Youths Connect, Comrade Lucas Famakinwa, commented on the flood situation, advising the locality to avoid dumping refuse in the drainages, and he also called on the state government to assist people that were affected.
Famakinwa stated, “We want to appeal to both federal and state governments to take steps in averting floods in the future. We also want to appeal to our people to stop dumping waste inside the gutter because we discovered that the drainage had been blocked.”
The state government announced that it had initiated the evacuation of the affected areas and launched a rapid response to prevent further damage. This was revealed in a statement released on Saturday by the state commissioner for environment, Mr. Oyeniyi Oseni. The statement indicated that the government had implemented all necessary measures to prevent future flooding.
It also noted that amphibious excavators had been dispatched to key erosion-prone areas in the state for dredging operations. The commissioner said, “The cause of the flooding on Friday also could be attributed to the development of the waterways in an estate at Fagun and along the Ife Road area of the community.”
He also mentioned that his ministry would work with the appropriate government departments to tackle the illegal construction along the waterways.
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Content Credit| Igbakuma Rita Doom
Picture Credit | https://punchng.com/flood-renders-ondo-communities-residents-homeless-2/
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/10/flood-wreaks-havoc-in-ondo-aiyedatiwa-orders-evacuation/
