Devastating flood everywhere: How Ogbomoso is saved the horrors
Femi OGUNLANA
The havoc flood has been causing across the country and beyond this year especially in North East, North Central and South East Nigeria, has been horrific.
Torrential rains occasioned by climate change and other human factors have sent forth deluge of water making streams, rivers, even dams and all water channels to overflow their banks and ravage homes and farmlands.
According to reports, farmlands have been submerged, igniting loss of large farm crops; houses were flooded and many household items and valuables swept away by the tumultuous water.
In addition, the floods have led to “a major increase in cholera cases and other preventable diseases in Nigeria,” the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned in a statement on Friday, calling for more resources to scale up its response.
Some farmers have lost close to 75% of everything planted this year, said Kabir Ibrahim, national president of the local farmers association, a development that fuels fear of food shortages in the near future.
The damage caused by the floods also extends to livestock in areas like Bayelsa state, where Innocent Aluu said he lost nearly 10,000 fowls in his poultry farm to the floods, most of them dying from waterborne diseases.
“I feel like running away — nobody can think straight,” a devastated Aluu said by phone, while speaking with Associated Press, estimating his losses at 30 million naira ($68,600).
In many communities devastated by floods reptiles such as phytons and all varieties of snakes, crocodiles and other dangerous aquatic animals now constitute menace to humans.
Ogbomoso spared the horror
But most of South West is saved the horror, not that the region has not had heavy rainfalls this year but perhaps due to environmental layouts and nature of landforms.
One might also attribute this to the efforts of political office holders, who girded their communities up against flooding.
As an instance, through various channelization interventions, several water courses, streams and rivers within Ogbomoso metropolis were widened, dredged and concreted to afford the water free flow.
Now, let’s look at some of the politicians whose intervention efforts elicited relative calm in the water courses.
1. Late Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala:
The former governor of Oyo state who died earlier this year at the age of 71 plus years left many legacies as governor one of which is the dredging and widening of Ora River at Ora Garage/Araada area. The river used to incessantly overflow its bank engendering annual flooding with attendant humongous losses in lives, farm crops and household valuables but since the intervention the menace has reduced or stopped.
Chief Akala also awarded projects for similar work at Laka Stream, the effectiveness of which also is preventing flooding in the area.
2. Senator Hamzat Ayo Adeseun:
A two-time member of the House of Representatives and one-time senator, during which he represented Surulere/Ogo-Oluwa federal constituency and Oyo Central senatorial district respectively, he spread his tentacles into Ogbomoso metropolis, where he facilitated channelization projects. To his credit, he caused the widening and dredging of Ora River beyond the bridge at Owode towards Baaki area. He also intervened at places like Nana River at Apake and Abogunde areas. These communities are reaping from his efforts today in the area of flood control.
3. Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari:
A one-time House of Representatives member (represented Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire federal constituency) and into his second term as senator (Oyo North senatorial district), facilitated erosion control projects at Omoosin area and channelization of Oloko stream starting from Masifa linking Ora river up to Ora bridge at Owode. The channels were additionally girded by (concrete) casting.
4. Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola:
The former Majority Leader in the House of Representatives was responsible for the channelization of erosion paths at Oja’gbo Market down to Saja area and in some other locations.
The interventions of these four leaders in recent years went a long way in fortifying the city against rampaging floods.
We commend their efforts and charge them to continue to make worthy impact since most of them are still around.
We also appeal to others to always seek to leave noteworthy legacies for it’s by that they will immortalize their names.
