The Ekiti State government says it has ramped up efforts to safeguard lives, property and critical infrastructure from impending flood disasters.
The General Manager of Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency, Oludare Asaolu said the state government has launched a response campaign on flood disaster and related hazards.
Recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had issued a warning of an impending flash-flood risk across 27 states in the first 10 days of July, including Ekiti State.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday, during the interactive S’etigbo multicast, anchored by the Bureau of Community Communications, Asaolu stated that the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji has invested heavily in the expansion, construction and dredging of drainage channels across the state to reduce incidents of flooding and erosion.
The SEMA General Manager explained that the Oyebanji-led administration has prioritised public enlightenment on disaster prevention and emergency preparedness through continuous sensitisation campaigns across the 16 local government areas of the state.
He urged residents to cultivate proper waste disposal habits through the usage of wheeling bins bins in their homes and ensuring refuse is disposed of appropriately to maintain a clean and flood-free environment.
His words: “Governor Oyebanji is a proactive governor that doesn’t wait until disaster happens before it is nipped in the bud. We are out to enlighten our people especially now that rainy season is at its peak so that flooding can be averted, rainstorms that can blow off our houses can be averted.
“We have been going round educating our people to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages and rivers. The governor has procured for the waste management authority to evacuate waste materials generated. There are dino bins that the governor has provided in the various locations. Our people should use this opportunity instead of dumping in unauthorised places.”
On her part, State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Oluwakemi Akomolede, disclosed that the Director-General of NOA had directed nationwide sensitisation campaigns following NiMet’s prediction of heavy rainfall.
She noted that NOA officers across all local government areas in Ekiti State have embarked on intensive public awareness campaigns, moving from community to community to educate residents on measures to prevent flooding and erosion.
She observed that while many residents have embraced the campaign, others remain reluctant to comply with environmental guidelines while calling on the Ministry of Lands and Housing to ensure strict enforcement of regulations requiring property owners to construct and maintain proper drainage systems around their buildings to reduce the impact of erosion and flooding.
