Ekiti govt. kickstart campaign against flooding

Ekiti Government says it has embarked on campaign against flooding in all the nooks and crannies of the state.

Chairman of the State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), Chief Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, made this known during his visit to the dredging site of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti on Friday.

Oguntoyinbo, who was accompanied by the agency’s board members, said that the visit was to inspect the work being done by the engineer assigned to curb flooding in the community.

He expressed satisfaction with the work ethics of the site engineer, who, he said, started dredging on June 4 and had been able to dredge 1.8 kilometers length of the river.

Oguntoyinbo said that Gov. Biodun Oyebanji had directed that all waterways that could cause flooding be dredged by three kilometers because of his passion for the welfare and safety of the people of the state.

“I want to commend our amiable governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, for embarking on zero tolerance campaign against flooding in every community and town in Ekiti.

“Currently, we are in Ise-Ekiti to inspect the dredging of Ofigba River to curb flooding in the community.

“I and other board members of EKSEPA are delighted with the level of job done by the site engineer because he is actually working with the directives of three-kilometer dredging of waterways.

“On this note, I will like to also commend the General Manager of EKSEPA, Mr Olukayode Adunmo, for supervising the project since it started on June 4 in Ise-Ekiti,” he said.

In his remarks, the general manager of EKSEPA said that the dredging of the waterways had become imperative to curb flooding in the state.

Adunmo said that most of the waterways had been blocked with refuse, thereby preventing free flow of water.

“Dredging of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area is necessary because some of the waterways have been blocked by refuse.

“There is the need for us to remove every blockage to enhance free flow of water and avert flooding during heavy rainfall,” he said.

The general manager commended the governor for taking proactive measures to curb flooding in the state.

One of the residents of Ise-Ekiti, Chief Godwin Ojo, who spoke with newsmen, thanked the governor for the move to avert flooding in their community.

Ojo prayed God to grant the governor more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to an enviable height.