JUST IN: Petuo Community in Ogbomoso stops Iseyin road construction over flood diversion
Yinka ADETUNJI
Construction activities have been forced to stop on the 76km – Ogbomoso/Iseyin road at the Ogbomoso end in Oyo state by landlords and residents of Eleeru-Petuo community, Randa area, following diversion of flood and erosion water from diverse communities to their lowland community.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com which was at the community Monday morning was shown the new drainage network which is not agreeable to the residents.
“From Blindcentre/Low-cost, Randa, LSG, Temple, Ola-Oluwa Baptist Church areas erosion water from these different axes will now converge in our community, which was not so before. Moreover the network was haphazardly done, this, when rain comes, it is certain danger, certain exposure to deluge of water and flooding,” residents said in chorus.
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Pastor Bisi Alagbe, a landlord in the area more specifically told ogbomosoinsightonline.com, “We are not really protesting but we are gathering to make sure justice is pleased because these people (contractor, Craneburg and state’s ministry of works) just came to our area some few months ago and started to dig the ground and underneath houses.
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“So many houses were threatened, some of the fences were collapsed and then they did one underground drainage. They destroyed the previous drainage made with hardcore, stones, but they replaced them with six inches blocks. In fact, it is an eyesore. We met with them several times, and they promised to do the right thing but they did not.”
Speaking on their fear, Pastor Alagbe said, “When rain begins now, we will be exposed to the reality. There will be greater risk of flooding. And what they put underground, their so-called underground drainage, is also haphazardly done, several houses have developed cracks, many even used their own money to repair the damages caused.
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“We spoke to them, but pompously they said we should rather be grateful to them. They are now shifting the blame, the ministry of works and the contractor – Craneburg. Craneburg said the ministry stopped them from doing the repair. Anybody can come and see what we are saying, it is difficult to describe. Erosion is now diverted from different places and if you see the endpoint, it is faulty, no cover, they want our houses to be carried away by water and expose us especially our children to flooding. Whereas we didn’t have problem of erosion in the past.”
Asked what they wanted, he harped, “We want complete repairs of our drainages, and cover the endpoint up to the Eleeru/Petuo stream. They also damaged several reinforced culverts – they should repair them. The damaged houses and fences they repaired were also badly done. In addition, if it will be left that way, the so-called underground drainage should be better done, how are we sure it will not even be blocked with earth over time? Then, the stream that will be receiving the flood water needs to be dredged and widened especially at the entry point so that the surrounding houses will not be submerged. Better still, the erosion water from the different places mentioned could be channeled into different areas instead of diverting them all into our community. It is wickedness.”
A resident who also spoke noted when asked why they allowed the haphazard work in the first instance, “They deceived us. They started with the endpoint drainage. It was later we knew what they were trying to do.”
People need maximum patient – Engineer
Meanwhile, ogbomosoinsighronline.com spoke on phone with the engineer from the Oyo state ministry of works, who is in charge of the project, Engr Elijah Oyetunji, who canvassed for ”maximum patience.”
He said, “That is not the only place we are working and we are not there to affect anybody. But you see that underpass, if you were here three or four months ago you would have gotten a deeper understanding of what we did in that place.
“As engineers, we did all our possible best to make the place have shape. They are our people, we need to do the needful for them which we did. We rebuilt fallen fences and houses they complained of cracks were repaired. But without road construction naturally walls develop cracks.
“We tried all we could do but l could see we did not satisfy them. We are doing what are directed to do. That underpass requires maximum patience from them. But they don’t want to do that and there is nothing we can do. We have been working there for almost 4 months, you can see the magnitude of the work there. What will be our joy if we don’t do what we are supposed to do. We have been working for over a year on the project with government spending billions of naira. The needful will be done.”
Engr Oyetunji assured the right things will be done adding they would look at the stream that will be receiving the water and see what can be done to avert future problem while asserting, “They can get independent engineers, there is no way water can be boisterous and come back from the stream to affect the area. ”
Construction workers were seen sitting in groups discussing the matter, though filling of intra-roads within Petuo were being executed.
