Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti has warned developers against building on waterways, saying this has been the most identifiable snag sabotaging the government’s strides to tame flooding.

Mr Oyebanji gave the warning on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti while inspecting some sections of the capital city and suburbs ravaged by flood on Saturday.

He sympathised with the victims, who are predominantly students, and reminded the residents that indiscriminate blocking of drains and building of structures on waterways was sabotaging the government’s efforts against flooding.

Mr Oyebanji, represented by the deputy governor, Monisade Afuye, said that as part of the preparedness of the government ahead of the rainy season, it had been proactive enough by carrying out dredging and channelisation in flood-prone sections of Ado-Ekiti and suburbs.

“In the year 2022, we have dredged and channelised places like Elemi and Ureje rivers that crossed some parts of Ado-Ekiti. We have also channelised the Agric Olope area, where cases of flooding had been reported.

“We are assuring you that the government will come to your rescue. Just recently, the government spent over N58 million for the victims of rainstorm and fire disasters, so we will not abandon you in this critical situation,” he said.

The governor said officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) would visit all the affected areas for proper enumeration and documentation to guide the government on the best ways to bring respite to the victims.

The Ekiti State University vice-chancellor, Babatola Ayodele, who led the institution’s management team, promised that holistic preventive actions would be taken to avert the recurrence of such a situation on campus.

Mr Ayodele said the university would sensitise students aggressively against securing hostel accommodations in flood-prone areas to avert the recurrence of the situation.

Sections visited include the Osekita area of the Ekiti State University, where some hostels were overrun by water, while the governor donated food palliatives to students who lost valuable materials to the occurrence.

(NAN)