Residents have called on the Osun State Government to come to their aid as occasional floods continue to threaten and cutting them off as well as depriving them of their daily living.
These was the complaints of residents and motorists on Saturday evening after a heavy downpour paralysed commercial activities and vehicular traffic along the Rasco Area of Osogbo.
A mini-bus driver who spoke with this medium stated that the area has been prone to flood for a long time and despite the drainage work completed under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, it was surprising that the floods have come back with full force.
He explained that there must be a reason for the resurgence of flood in the area.
A business owner in the area, Haruna Sokoto explained that it was surprising that flood had taken over the area again.
He noted that there was flood in Rasco Area before but since the state government built drainages in the river, they never expected that it will occur again.
He expressed surprise at the flood and appealed to the state government to intervene as a matter of priority so that residents and traders in the area will be able to have a sigh of relief.
Another trader in the area stated that the rains ended up causing a traffic gridlock never before experienced on the road.
He explained that the narrow nature of the road added to the gridlock as it was not designed to withstand that type of heavy concentration of vehicles.
According to him, “Since the work on the Olaiya Flyover started on February, traffic was diverted to this narrow road connecting Old Garage to Oke-Fia roundabout and daily, the traffic increases.
“As a result, the road is continually wearing and tearing. There are potholes on the road and now flooding.
“If you look around, there is a big drainage meant to carry water but the flood has come just after a little rainfall and we don’t know why this is happening.”
Others lamented that the problem was a result of government failures and playing of politics instead of concentrating on providing and taking care of the people who voted them into office.
In Ilesa town, there was also a report of flooding on Saturday after a heavy evening downpour.
Most affected parts are Biladu Area, Irawo Junction, Oba Adenle Hospital Junction and Funtua Area of Ilesa.
Residents also called on the state government to come to their aid in preventing a repeat of such reoccurrences.
A residents, Adeyinka Adegunju who spoke to newsmen revealed that the cause of the flood in Ilesa was due to breakdown of infrastructures in the town.
He stated that the only viable presence of government was the few kilometres of roads that were rehabilitated.
“Go round the town and see the level of infrastructural decay. For a town like Ilesa, it is an eyesore.
“Ilesa and the whole of Ijesaland is being deprived of government presence and the result is what we are seeing with our very eyes.”
The Osun State Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Sola Oladepo in a chat with Daily Post stated that the Osun Government has not relaxed on the issue and has not been taking any development that has to do with its citizens with levity.
He revealed that the governor has been doing much on flood control before the onset of the rainy season.
Oladepo disclosed that the Rasco Area flood on Saturday was part of the warnings of the state government to the citizens.
In his words, “It was not long I was in that area. I was in Freedom Park and when I came out, I didn’t see any sign of flooding but people recorded and said there was flooding.
“That of Rasco is a special one. It is a federal road coming from Ogbomoso to Freedom Park and Old Garage. The culvert work on it was carried out by the Ecological Fund Office without the Osun Government being carried along and the way it was constructed was to expand the road from Ogbomoso through Lameco, Freedom Park and Old Garage.
“The occasional flooding there is not unexpected because it overflows and comes in through the back of the motor park and drains into the canal. We couldn’t do much and won’t be able to touch it because it is a federal government road. All we can do is just to be de-silting the river.
“We have done it twice this year and so also we are doing now. We have done it in Iwo local government and we are presently in Ifedayo local government doing same thing and we are coming to Ilesa.
“As for Ilesa, it is expected since there have been complaints and we are aiming to bring our equipment to the place to de-silt most of the rivers and streams and it is not going to be out of place.
“We thank God that the rainy season is gradually receding and the flood of yesterday is not what we did not expect and we thank God that there was no casualty recorded.
“We are doing a lot but only that when such happens, people forget easily that government has always been making moves.”
Recall that the Nigerian Metereological Agency (NiMET) had forecast increased rainfall and thunderstorms for Osun and some states in the southern part of the country.
It also predicted that due to the topography of the state, it was going to be affected by much flooding especially towards the end of the year as the rainy season was coming to an end.
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