Ogun govt urges wetland residents to relocate

The Ogun State Government on Tuesday urged residents of wetland areas to move to safer grounds before full rain starts.

According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the rains, which had started in March, would end in December.

The agencies noted that the rains would have an average rainy period of 239 days, an average rainfall of 1786.5 mm, and would affect 16 of the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, made this known during the Ogun State Flood Alert 2024 together with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) held at the Olusegun Press Centre. Osoba, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Oresanya revealed that local government areas such as Imeko-Afon, Odeda, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South would experience the lowest rainfall.

While noting that people located in mountainous areas would suffer erosion due to the speed of water, he called for calm as the state government was implementing measures to cushion the effects of the expected heavy rains.

“Either you move out of the area or you move up; You may want to rebuild your house or do some type of elevation if you must stay in that area. Every year we talk about relocation. It’s not easy to move. If you must live in those areas, make sure your electronics, chairs, and anything that could be damaged are elevated.

“When we talk about relocation and elevation, it will be predominantly in this area. People who live within the state’s wetlands are supposed to prepare for this increase in water height because we are going to have retention during this period.

“So, people located in the mountainous areas will suffer some form of erosion due to the speed with which the water will run downwards around the Ilaro area and some Ota areas. “This year we will have erosion that will accompany the flooding,” he said.

Oresanya noted that the state’s wetland areas were predominantly in the southern parts, describing them as “almost flat lands and lowlands.”

Most of the wetland areas, according to the commissioner, were border towns between Lagos and Ogun states.

Oresanya also said that the state government was ready to complement its efforts to address the flood menace with the construction of 2,975.6 m length of drainage canals and mini-bridges/culverts, and the desilting and cleaning of 56,159 m of length of river/stream. courses and 40,000 m length of drainage canals in the three senatorial districts.

“Some of these interventions include the construction of drainage canals and culverts at Wesley Primary School, Ijebu-Ode; reconstruction of the dilapidated culvert on the Saje landfill road; Apakila (Abeokuta); Igbosoro (Ogijo, Sagamu), Imasai; desilting of rivers and stream courses in Yemile (Ijebu-Ode); Sensen River (Sagamu), Onibuku (Ota); Odo-funfun (Oja-Odan), Opa Aro (Isheri), Sokori River and its tributaries, while cleaning of drainage canals will be carried out in Abeokuta, Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro and Ota, among others,” he said.

The commissioner recalled that the duration of the rainy season for coastal areas ranged between 250 to 292 days while that of the interior was 200 to 250 days.

He encouraged farmers to start planting. He urged fish farmers to harvest before the peak of the rainy season in July. He advises poultry farmers not to approach stocking density during this period that started two months ago.

Oresanya also asked residents to apply for “drainage permits” before building them.

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This, he said, would ensure that the drains had the proper elevation for the passage of water.

The drainage permit, he added, would guide residents not to unknowingly build in floodplains and wetlands during the dry season.

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), Olufemi Odumosu, said the agency has been holistic in focusing on structural measures for flood control.