The Ogun State Government has revealed that the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, and the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry have opened campgrounds to provide refuge for those displaced by the calamity.
According to The PUNCH, this was disclosed by the Commissioner of Environment for Ogun State, Oladimeji Oresanya during a telephone interview with Saturday with journalists.
He also encouraged residents in affected areas who are willing to evacuate to reach out to the state’s emergency response teams and the National Emergency Management Agency.
According to him, these agencies stand ready to dispatch their officials to assist with the evacuation process.
He explained that the catastrophic flooding in the region has been attributed to a confluence of factors, including rising sea levels, heavy rainfall, and the deliberate release of water from the Oyan dam.
He also added that consequently, more than 100 landlords in the area have been forced to abandon their homes in order to escape the devastating effects of the floodwaters.
One of the impacted landlords,Mr. Paschal Uchendu, shared his personal experience, revealing that he had to hastily vacate his residence on a recent Friday to avoid being ensnared by the unfolding crisis.
He said, “This one is even worse than the flood of 2019. From my assessment, this is the worst we have seen so far. It has even cut off a section of the Warewa Road.
“People are leaving already. Most landlords left three days ago when it started. I personally left today (Friday) after the flood entered my house. The flood has covered everywhere in the area.
“We are about 20 landlords in my own area, and the houses there are over 100. You can imagine the number of families that have been displaced as a result of this problem.”
A landlord and Chairman, Riverview Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association, Mr Abayomi Akinde, said the floods had affected his estate tremendously, adding that a lot of homeowners have fled.
“A lot of havoc is being done at the moment. As I speak to you now, I am wading through water, not on the street, but in my living room. My entire house has been overtaken by the floods.
“I am lucky I have a space upstairs. Some are not as lucky. Everyone has fled. The only thing that has made me remain is that I cannot just leave my house like that.
“There are some people that the floods entered into their homes through the window. The water level is so high. It is a very devastating occurrence that needs not to have happened at all,” he said.
He mentioned that on October 20, 2013, former President Goodluck Jonathan visited the region and made a number of pledges to address the situation, none of which, in his opinion, have been kept.
“The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, also visited the area in 2019 and I had the honour to speak to him directly. He promised to fix the problem with infrastructure but nothing was done. All the measures taken are from resident associations and other political stakeholders in the area,” Akinde added.
In response, the environment commissioner, Oresanya, stated that residents of the community had been told by the government to leave or elevate their dwellings to accommodate the terrain.
He said, “We have advised that people living around the coastal areas to either evacuate or elevate their homes or roads. This means they can raise their houses, floors, or roads.
“The government has made provision. Most of the churches around Ogun State have hostels that they can use, and they are open to the displaced residents.
“We have already discussed with the likes of RCCG, MFM, and others, and they have opened up their hostels for us in the state so that people who want to relocate can move to those areas temporarily for one or two months.
“The state emergency management agency, as well as NEMA, is on the ground to provide relief material to our people.”
