Flood sacks Ondo residents

Several residents of the coastal communities in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, including Igbotu, the hometown of the mother of state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu have been sacked from their homes following several days of downpour.

Some of the communities include Igbobini, Iluagbo, Sabome, Inikorogha, Oboro, Ojuala, Ipoke and Igbekebo, the headquarters of the local government, where hundreds of houses were submerged, rendering thousands of the people in the area homeless.

Igbotu community, where the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Jimi Kufo and the Chairman of Eseodo Local Government, Mr. Omolewa Ojo hailed from was submerged with water while commercial activities were paralysed for days following the heavy rain.

Apart from this, many of the residents of the area now stay under canopies erected by the community leaders by the major roads in the town.

Besides, all the roads linking the communities including Igbobini-Irele road have been cut off forcing the people to use canoe to access their destinations.

Some of the residents who are mainly from Apoi have moved into churches and schools as their houses have been taken over by flood.

Speaking, chairman of the local government, Mr. Omolewa Ojo, said the anguish of the residents started after days of torrential rain which resulted in flood.

He confirmed that thousands of residents within the local government have been rendered homeless following the havoc wreaked by the flood.

According to him, many of the residents were trapped in their houses but were moved with canoes while school children were prevented from going to school since Wednesday.

The local government chairman who solicited for the state government assistance said millions of properties were lost to the flood.

The chairman explained that he had visited most of the affected areas but called for the state government intervention to help the victims of the flood disaster.

“This year’s flood was exceptional and i don’t think we have experienced this kind of disaster in this area. Many of the houses were submerged in water, destroying property.

“We appreciate God that no life was lost in the flood. Our people have been rendered homeless. We need to take urgent steps because commercial and social activities had been paralyzed here”

The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Kufo said the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) would soon distribute relief materials to the people.

Kufo cautioned people against building their house along canal just as he warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways.

Credit: Tribune Online