Ogun communities cry out for solution to annual flooding

The residents of the Isheri Estates community in the OPIC area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have demanded more action from the Ogun State Government to mitigate the effects of the flooding in the area.

The community has several estates within it that have been battling with the flood crisis in the past weeks.

The residents were thrown into panic barely a week ago following the release of water from the Oyan River Dam by the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority.

A gradual increase in the Ogun River’s current later led to an overflow, spreading across areas some metres away from the river bank.

The impact which resulted in heavy flooding across various estates within the communities also led to a significant increase in the relocation of residents.

While demanding more action from the state government, the residents maintained that the area was allotted and sold to them by the state government.

A resident, Olayinka Adewusi, demanded a lasting intervention from the state government.

“Nothing has changed since the flood started. It has been the same story of moving to higher ground and making provision for the flood victims. We want more than that. A lasting solution is what we want. The government sold this place to us and they should not leave us in this precarious situation. The response so far has not been encouraging.”

Another resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, while lamenting the current state of the flooded community, urged the government to fast-track its efforts in proffering solutions.

“The efforts of the government have not given us the results we all wanted. The dredging that was done had little or no effect considering the situation we have found ourselves in this year. Telling us to relocate to higher ground is an advisory we are very much familiar with. We may need to embark on a protest to put an end to all this.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has been making frantic efforts to provide a solution to the flood crisis affecting residents in the state.

A resident of Isheri North Government Residence Area who identified himself simply as Omigbodun stated that the state House of Assembly had intervened in the crisis.

“Our community needs technical support and advice on the dredging contract to be carried out on the River Ogun impacting our community almost immediately. So, this Special Consultant plus the Ministry of Environment should join us in seeing that the dredging contract is properly executed and ensure that drainage requirements for our community are achieved,” he added.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the state Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, visited the community and other affected areas on Wednesday for an on–the–spot assessment of the situation.

The Ogun State Government had said it was planning a temporary shelter for residents affected by the flooding occasioned by the release of water from the Oyan Dam.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, told PUNCH Metro on Monday that plans had been made to accommodate the flood victims and persons prone to the flooding.

The commissioner also advised residents in the flood-prone areas to evacuate immediately and not wait for an escalation of the situation.