Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Monday declared state of emergency on the flooded  Isheri community,  in Ifo Local Government Area of the State, as he assured residents of the area quick intervention to save the situation.

The governor added  that a comprehensive assessment that would lead to permanent solution to the menace of  flooding in the affected area  would be conducted very soon.

Prince Abiodun, who stated this while fielding questions from newsmen after inspecting the flooded community, said that his administration is working with the federal government to deal with the situation as an emergency case.

He noted that the time has come to find a lasting solution to the perennial flooding to make the area morw conducive for living.

According to him, the state government will see to the elevation of some roads in the area as parts of the solutions to the problem.

The govenor said: “We will prioritize the works here because I am touched with what I have seen. I will ensure that we immediately begin to see signs of relief as we are stepping this up. The Minister of State for Environment is already aware. The Vice President is already aware and also the president. It will be dealt with as an emergency and we are taking it as such.

“As an emergency, I will like to take it up myself. Please continue to bear with us as we are going to conduct a comprehensive assessment of what we need to do to make this place conducive for living.

“Whatever that assessment comes up with is what we are going to implement. So, we are going to first start with ensuring that we have the required road infrastructure at the appropriate levels.

“So if you now built in such a way that we need to relocate you, we have to do that. Whatever it is that we must do to ensure that place does not persistently experience flood, we will do it. But let us wait for the result of the studies to come back and then we will begin to take that decision as and when the situation arises.”

Addressing residents of Riverview Estate, Governor Abiodun said he has requested for an area survey of the entire estate to identify critical areas that needed immediately intervention.

He assured that the intervention would come through the construction of an elevated road with adequate drainages to mitigate their suffering.

“I want to assure you today, knowing fully well that we are a promise keeping administration, we do not say what we do not mean, my heart goes out to you, it is very unfortunate, I am giving my commitment today, the commissioner for works will come and see what needs to be done.

“We have also engage the Minister of State for the Environment, who fortunately, is from Ogun State and I have already brought this to his attention.

“Before the end of the week, I will also table it before the Vice President and the President as well so that we ensure that this problem gets all the desired attention and consequently gets the desired solution so we can bring this to an end,” he said.

The governor also disclosed that he and the Minister of Water Resources would visit the community in few days time.

“We will also discuss the issue of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority and try and interrogate the activities there and understand how their activities affect this community and other communities with respect to the opening and closing of the dam,” he said.

The governor described the environment around the Kara cattle market as an eyesore and not befitting the dreams of a “new Ogun State”.

He said that the market was not conducive for human living and not in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals and waste disposal.

He, however, acknowledged the area as one of the biggest commercial operation that provide services to a large number of people, even as he assured that government would go into a satisfactory agreement with the market men and women after which a comprehensive beautification of the area would take place.

The Chairman, Riverview Estate, Abayomi Akande, in his remarks, intimated the governor of the suffering residents of the area are going through as a result of the flooding.

He said that there is a need for a panel of inquiry into the operations of Oyan Dam to stop incessant release of water to cause havoc in the State

He applauded the governor for sending miscreants packing from the road, saying residents of the axis have suffered robbery attacks and other criminalities for quite awhile.

Akande urged the state government to think of converting the area into a Government Residential Area (GRA) through Public Private Partnership arrangement to fast track its development.

As the world continues to work towards zero hunger, good health, and well-being, the Sterling One Foundation has thrown its weight behind Community Pot, a social impact project focused on tackling infant malnutrition by providing healthy and sustainable diets.

The project, which aims to feed at least 1,000 children every month with healthy and nutritious meals received support from Sterling One Foundation for its February outreach in Ajegunle.

According to statistics, an estimated 2 million Nigerian children suffer from acute malnutrition, which contributes to under-five mortality and stunted growth, ranking the country, second highest in terms of stunted-growth children. Launched in 2022 as an initiative of Whole Eats Africa, a fitness and wellness initiative, and Sterling Bank Plc, Community Pot’s goal is to reduce the cases of malnutrition across Nigerian communities, which often affects the physical and mental abilities of children faced with the challenge.

In discussing the Ajegunle outreach, Oluwakemi Jeje, the founder of Community Pot, revealed that the initiative has identified and targeted communities with malnourished children and devised plans to not only feed them but also train and support them to become healthier.

“We understand the far-reaching effects of malnutrition in children, especially in underserved communities like this one,” she says, “which is why this is more than just an outreach for us, but an investment in the physical and cognitive development of the children here.”

The organisation provides mostly organic protein meals, which have been shown to increase body metabolism and improve overall health. 

While commenting on the impact of the outreach, Sterling One Foundation’s CEO, Olapeju Ibekwe, highlighted the opportunity it provided to interact with some of the children and their parents, and how important that touchpoint and the opportunity for mentorship and guidance it provides, could become throughout their lives.

Community Pot’s key beneficiaries are children between six months to five years old.

The Ondo State House Of Assembly has appealed to the Federal Government, United Nations, World Bank as well as the Niger Delta Development Commission to save the coastal community of Ayetoro from being wiped away by the Atlantic Ocean.

The Ayetoro Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State has been facing the problem of ocean surge which was said to have taken over more than half of the land of the community. Many residents of the community have been rendered homeless as their houses had been swept away by the ocean.

The Assembly urged the FG and the international community to immediately deploy modern technology to rescue Ayetoro and other communities that are being submerged by ocean surges in the local government.

The Assembly made the appeal at the plenary sitting on Thursday after adopting a motion of urgent public importance on the need to save Ayetoro from being wiped off by ocean surge. The appeal was made in a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Ilaje constituency 1, Mr Abayomi Akinruntan.

Akinruntan informed the Assembly that people in the affected communities had lost valuables and property worth billions of naira and were currently displaced from their homes.

The lawmaker said, “It’s a recurring problem and we seek a lasting solution before the entire homes of my people at the constituency in Ilaje Ugbo, the oil-bearing communities in Ondo State are wiped away.

“I feel agencies like NDDC, NEMA and others need to explore with proper study by experts and deploy the same with best and latest technology for a solution to the ocean surge in the Ilaje communities.

“But presently an immediate settlement plan is required for the people of the affected areas aside from the regular relief materials that should be given to them.”

The lawmaker also appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency to speed up the distribution of relief materials to the victims.

Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun, said the Ondo State Government alone could no longer manage the situation at Ayetoro and others, as the surge had now become an annual occurrence and resources consuming, hence the need for intervention of the stakeholders.