Floods ravage Osun communities, destroy bridge, property

The damaged bridge. Photo: Bola Bamigbola

A torrential rainfall across Osun State has triggered flooding in several communities, destroying property and damaging a bridge linking Ijaregbe to Ilesa, as residents urged the state government to take urgent steps to prevent further losses.

The heavy downpour recorded across the state between Friday and Monday caused flooding in parts of Osogbo, including Ayekale, Famson Area, Oke Baale, Sasa and Ilesa Garage.

Checks by our correspondent also revealed that Muroko Road in Ilesa was flooded following the overflow of the Ora River, while the bridge linking Ijaregbe to Ilesa was damaged after several hours of rainfall on Monday, cutting off the community from the city centre.

Apart from Ijaregbe, communities including Ijana, Ibala, Ayegunle, Idooko and Eesun Ijesa also experienced flooding, disrupting the movement of people, goods and services.

Two residents of Ayekale, Osogbo, Akin Olugbodi and Shekinat Olaegbe, said they lost property to flooding that ravaged the area after heavy rainfall last Friday.

Olaegbe, a widow, told The PUNCH on Monday that several houses were flooded, adding that she lost valuables to the incident.

“I lost valuables to flooding and many houses were flooded after heavy rain in Osogbo last Friday. The water channel in our area is blocked, and just a few hours of rain caused the water to overflow its banks.

“We live in fear of another flooding at any moment. It has been raining in our area for the past three hours. The government needs to act quickly,” she said.

Also speaking on the impact of the rainfall, the Olomu of Ijaregbe, Oba Edward Adetimo, confirmed in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Monday that the bridge linking his community to Ilesa had been damaged following the heavy downpour.

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“The collapse of the bridge was caused by the heavy downpour at midnight. This morning (Monday), the House of Assembly member representing Obokun State Constituency, Hon. Adewumi Adeyemi, and others visited to assess the situation.

“They assured us that officials from the Ministry of Works would come tomorrow to provide a temporary fix pending full reconstruction. Our children attending schools in Ilesa could not go to school today.

“We appeal to the state government to urgently come to our aid,” the monarch said.

When contacted, the Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, said the state government had taken measures to mitigate the effects of flooding.

Adejoorin described flooding as a seasonal occurrence associated with heavy and prolonged rainfall, saying the situation had not degenerated to an uncontrollable level in the state.

He said, “The menace of flooding is a seasonal occurrence globally each time we have heavy and continuous rainfall. The situation has never degenerated to an uncontrollable level in Osun State.

“This is because of the proactiveness of the state government. The supervising ministry, the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, Osun State, always embarks on preventive measures to mitigate the negative impacts of flooding before the commencement of the annual rainfall.

“The measures include dredging waterways to allow easy passage of water, as well as awareness and sensitisation campaigns against indiscriminate dumping of refuse across or along waterways.

“The recent flooding and collapse of the bridge and box culvert linking Ilesa with neighbouring and adjoining communities of Ijaregbe, Ijana, Ibala, Ayegunle, Idooko and Eesun Ijesa are more of the physical responsibilities of the Ministry of Works, and I am aware that they have swung into action immediately.”