Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
Dateline: August 29, 2019. Time was about 9: 20pm. The place was the Eureka area of Ureje community on Polytechnic Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.
A gridlock caused by a heavily flooded bridge had stranded over 100 vehicles, some coming into the state from neighbouring states of Kogi or Ondo and others en route their homes in other parts of Ekiti or travelling out of the state.
Even the commercial motorbikes were stranded with their passengers. It was a complete logjam as everyone cursed, groaned and lamented.
The only bridge that links the Afe Babalola University and Federal Polytechnic with the metropolis of Ado-Ekiti had been flooded heavily, dividing the main road into two.
Unfortunately, this road, identified as Polytechnic Road, is the only link to the two institutions, and other border towns of Ekiti, including Ijan-Ekiti, Ikole-Ekiti, Ode-Ekiti, Aisegba-Ekiti, Ayede-Ekiti, Ayedun-Ekiti and Omuo-Ekiti, among other towns in the eastern part of the state.
There have never been efforts by successive state governments to create alternative routes through either the Ikere-Ado Road in the southern part of the state or Afao Road at the central part of the state to link the federal government road, which is the Polytechnic Road. This reality has worsened the situation and has continued to make residents and visitors in Ekiti who fall victim of the heavy flooding on the road experience hell.
Hundreds of residents, commuters and visitors, including this reporter, who were caught up in the August 27, 28 and 29 heavy flooding that wrecked the bridge had to wait for over five hours for the water to recede before abandoning the vehicles on the road. Many trekked home or passed the night in the area.
The flooding also continued its rage on other parts of the state, wreaking untold havoc on houses, roads, farmlands and destroying millions of household property. It has also rendered hundreds homeless. Many have abandoned their homes for rented apartments while some have moved in with relatives or neighbours in areas not prone to flooding.
The reporter noted that places with either very poor drainage system or no drainage at all were badly affected. Among such places are Elemi on Afao Road, Ado-Ekiti, Okujoda Zone 1, Ado-Ekiti, Saint Paul, Boom Town, Eminrin and Ijelu village, also called Aba Oyinbo by commuters within Ado-Ekiti. Also affected were Oke Osun area in Ikere, in Ikere Local Government Area, (LGA) and Ogbese in Ise-Orun LGA.
Residents in these areas are now daily witnessing tragic incidents of heavy flooding that destroy their property and unsettle them.
They have cried out to Governor Kayode Fayemi to urgently come to their aid.
Mr. Omojola Ajayi, who live around Saint Paul in Ado-Ekiti, said many houses in the area and surroundings are usually heavily flooded due to the poor drainage system.. He said not even the construction of fences by individuals to prevent the water from coming into their homes has brought any respite.
“We always fall victims of floodwater getting into the rooms and destroying belongings. We urgently need government help to give us a better drainage system,” he said.
Mr Fagbemile Tobiloba, a resident of Elemi, said: “There is no year we do not experience serious flooding in this area because of the poor drainage system. Worsening the poor situation of the drainage is the blockage of many of the routes that water should pass through by refuse. So, the government has two major things to do: improve on the drainage system and also ensure that wastes are properly disposed or and taken off the gutters completely.”
Speaking further about the effect of the perennial flood, he said: “Many of us here have lost property worth millions of naira. Several houses have been flooded, forcing people to keep vigil while evacuating the water. Many shops and kiosks have also been washed away with the millions of goods stored in them.”
Another resident of Ureje, Mr Idowu Adaramoye, said the bridge on Polytechnic Road was overrun by flood around 1am on Tuesday, August 27 and lasted till 6am on Wednesday, August 28.
He said the flood also surged into six houses, including a church located within the vicinity of Ureje Bridge. Nobody could cross that bridge to the Polytechnic side or go into Ado Ekiti city.”
Also, residents of the Boom Town, Eminrin, had to stay indoors till 12pm on Wednesday before they could cross Ureje.
Chairman of the community, Mr Oladimeji, appealed to government to dredge the stream to lower the water to prevent recurrence of this flooding.
“This Ureje stream was dredged about three years ago, but the job was not well done and the effect is what we are feeling today.
“About four houses could have been destroyed but for communal efforts made to ensure that we put concrete on the same inner Ureje Bridge that links us with Oke Ila quarters.”
Residents of Ikere Ekiti also got a dose of the devastation. The flood rendered many people homeless, while property worth millions of naira was also destroyed.
The affected areas in Ekiti’s second largest city include Kajola Adun Ogbon in Oke Osun and Alade filling Station Area in Odo Oja where flood evidently wreaked u told havoc.
When the reporter visited the area, it was observed that many houses, livestock gardens and cars were badly affected as residents wailed, counting their losses.
The incessant flooding is also having adverse effects on business activities in the affected areas.
Desmond Ifeoma, who runs a restaurant business around Okeyinmi area of Ado-Ekiti, noted: “The poor drainage system in this part of the state is affecting our business seriously. You won’t imagine a situation whereby every time it rains, my restaurant is flooded and this unsettles our customers. We appeal to government to kindly assist us,” she said.
Many persons have been rendered homeless, no thanks to the flooding. One of such victims is one Mrs Titilayo Rotimi who lives in Erinmin area of Ado-Ekiti.
According to some residents in the area, Mrs Rotimi and her five children have had to move to their in-law’s place in Ijan, several kilometres away from the capital, as they lost their home to the floods.
They said the flooding wrecked the building which the woman, a civil servant and mother of five children, jointly built with her aged husband.
Meanwhile, the state government is rising to the occasion. During a tour of some of the heavily flooded areas, Governor Kayode Fayemi promised residents that his government would soon begin dredging and carrying out reconstruction works on the drainage system.
Fayemi, who empathised with the victims of the flooding, promised government support for the victims. He said his government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that perennial flooding is completely curbed in the state.
He assured that government would provide succour for those who were rendered homeless by the flood.
While warning citizens against disposal of waste in the drains, the governor said anyone caught doing such would face the wrath of the law.
Fayemi stated that government had cleared blocked drainages in virtually all parts of Ado Ekiti, the state capital so as to give room for the free flow of water and forestall flooding. But he lamented that some citizens have not stopped dropping refuse in the drains.
“This government prioritizes the welfare of citizens. We cannot fold our arms and watch people lose lives and property to flood. This was why we embarked on the de-silting of blocked drains and the dredging of blocked waterways. For us as a government, we are committed to a safe environment.
“When I got a call that Ureje Bridge along Poly Road in Ado was affected by a heavy rain, I directed the Commissioner for Environment to see what could be done to address the menace.
“While we have filled up the areas eaten up by erosion with heavy stones to prevent the Ureje Bridge from caving in, we are also considering some lasting solutions. But our people too have critical roles to play in ensuring that we have a safe environment. It is unacceptable to dump refuse in the drains. Once the drains are blocked, flooding is certain to happen. Whoever is caught dumping refuse in the drains will face the wrath of the law,” he said.
At Ogbese, the bridge has been overrun by flood, sacking residents living close to the river bank.
The governor interfaced with members of the community and said the flooding was not unconnected with the lackadaisical attitude of the contractor handling the construction of Ogbese dam.
Fayemi has since summoned the contractor to explain how to control water from the dam and prevent it from causing needless flooding.