Flood Caused Havoc in Ijebu Ode

A downpour lasting many  hours penultimate weekend, flooded major roads in Ijebu-Ode destroying houses and other property.

The area affected most was the popular Igbeba Road where houses and shops were submerged.

Residents of the area, however, blamed the incident on the ongoing construction of culverts by the Ogun State Ministry of Environment.

They alleged that the construction of the culverts which started three days before the rain, prevented free flow of water.

Alhaji Razak Akeju whose house was submerged, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  that divine
intervention saved him and his family members from death.

Akeju said he was in his apartment with his family members when he heard a cracking sound at the back of the house during the downpour.

He explained that on getting to the back of the house, he discovered that part of the house had been submerged while the other side was cracking.

Akeju said that as this was happening, he ran out of the house with his family members.

``I am an 83 years old and all I have worked for have been destroyed by the flood. Where will I start from,’’ he wept.

He, however, appealed to the state government to come to his rescue.

Also speaking, Mrs Iyabode Olarenwaju, whose house was also submerged, said she had lost all her property to the flood.

Olarenwaju also blamed the ongoing construction of culverts along the major road for the flooding, appealing to the state government to come to her rescue.

Mr Adebowale Olukayode, a tailor, whose shop was also flooded, said that all his sewing machines were trapped in the flood.

``About four of my sewing machines which I use to make a living are now down the drain. Where will I go from here,’’ Olukayode said.

However, Mr Tola Onososen, the engineer working on the culvert, described the allegation of the residents on the cause of the flooding as untrue.

He explained that the culvert was laid by the state government to divert the water that was causing flooding in the area.

``From my own observation, the volume of water coming from Ibadan Garage and Bonojo Road was so high that there was no how the whole area will not be flooded.

``What we are doing here is to construct one metre by one metre culvert to allow free-flow of water in this area and there is no how this can be the reason for the flooding,’’ Onososen said.

The Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of the state, Mr Rasak Daddah, who later visited the area with some of his councillors, praised the Almighty God for saving the lives of occupants of the building.

He promised that he would bring their plight to the attention of the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

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