The Ogun State Government on Sunday ordered residents living along river channels to relocate with immediate effect to avoid the ravages of flood.
This followed the torrential downpour, which lasted about 16 hours on Saturday, causing havoc in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The state’s commissioner for environment, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, gave the order while inspecting the damages caused by flood. He sad the government would pull down the homes of those who flouted the directive.
The downpour submerged buildings in Kuto, Isale-Igbein, Lanfewa, Amolaso, Ijeun-Titun, Ago-Ijesa, Abiola Way, Isale Abetu, Sokori, Igbore, Oke-Mosan, Isale Ake and Adigbe, among others.
The commissioner, who addressed journalists after the assessment, identified human activities such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways, as factors responsible for the flooding.
Accompanied by his counterpart in the ministry of physical planning, Tunji Odunlami, he said the state government would take decisive steps to ensure compliance with environmental laws.
“As a government, we are going to take decisive steps to ensure that residents comply with environmental laws,” he said. “We are happy that no life was lost yesterday (Saturday). We will ensure that corrections are made to forestall annual recurrence of this natural disaster. We have seen the extent of the damage done by the flooding. We will continue to dredge canals in the state to allow for free passage of water.”
“The effect of human activities, that is building on waterways and indiscriminate dumping of refuse inside stream and rivers are factors responsible for what we are seeing here. We can all see the devastating effect that these have caused.”