The Nation Newspaper

Tag: havoc

  • Ogun flood: ‘Channelisation of canals will prevent future havoc’

    A House of Representatives member, Oladipupo Adebutu, has decried the havoc last Friday’s flood did to some homes and residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    The lawmaker said a channelisation of water pathways and canals would prevent future occurrence or similar severity.

    He sympathised with the victims and urged the government to pay more attention to the water courses within the state capital.

    Adebutu advised the government to “properly channelise” the water pathways instead of concentrating its energy on building bridges.

    The lawmaker representing Remo Federal Constituency spoke on Sunday when he visited victims of the flood in Abeokuta to assess the situation.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Rural Development noted that since flooding in Abeokuta and its environs had become yearly occurrence, the state government should have taken proactive measures to avert the latest incident.

    He said: “My assessment of the situation is that we are suffering from bad governance. This is not the first time this has happened. It is a perennial thing, and I believe a responsible government should have invested in the channelisation of water courses, instead of building bridges where there is no water.

    “The money used in building one of the bridges to nowhere, if it is used in proper channelisation in the town, our people will not be suffering like this. People have lost their homes; people have lost their businesses and, most regrettably, people have lost their lives.

    “A family of three was carried away by this flood because there is no government that cares. That is my position.”

  • Rainstorm wreaks havoc in Ondo community

    Rainstorm wreaks havoc in Ondo community

    Over 50 buildings were reportedly blown off at the weekend at Emure-Ile in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State as the first rain of the year in the community was accompanied by thunderstorm.

    The worst hit areas included Odooja, Agoebira, Awolowo, Surulere, Community Road and Unaun streets.

    Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scenes of the incident, expressed shock at the level of devastation.

    The governor assured the residents of the ancient town that his administration would provide relief for the victims.

    Thanking God that nobody died in the incident, Akeredolu reiterated his administration’s determination to continually assist the people, especially those in distress.

    The Elemure of Emure Ile, Oba Adedubaje Adeyefa, and a youth leader in the town, Sola Ogunmolasuyi, expressed appreciation to the governor for the inspection, despite his tight schedule.

    The governor was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ifedayo Abegunde and his Chief of Staff, Olugbenga Ale.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Homes, schools flooded as rain wreaks havoc in Oyo

    About 70 houses and markets were flooded at the weekend after a downpour in Ibadan and its environs.

    Although nobody died during the rains, which lasted over five hours, property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Worse hit is Ido Local Government of Oyo State where the roof of schools and houses were blown off and buildings flooded.

    The popular Omi-Adio food market was flooded. Goods were swept away and shops submerged by the torrential rain.

    Residents were displaced, as they spent the night outside.

    The affected people scooped water out of their homes yesterday morning. They could not attend church.

    One of the victims, who gave her name as Alhaja Mulikat, described the destruction as monumental. She implored Governor Abiola Ajimobi to assist them financially.

    Environment and Water Resources Commissioner Mr. Isaac Ishola said the government was aware of the problem and had taken proactive measures to mitigate it.

    He said 24 rivers would be dredged.

    Ishola urged the public to obey environmental sanitation and waste management laws.

    He warned them to desist from dumping refuse in drainages and building kiosks on culverts.

  • Rainstorm destroys property in Ibadan

    The first major rainstorm recorded this year in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, has destroyed several property worth millions of naira.
    Worst hit are schools, houses, electricity poles and cables.
    The rain also caused heavy flooding at Ashi ,Bodija, Lagelu, Agodi,and other areas in the Ibadan metropolis .
    Some of the affected schools include St Stephen Primary School, Alegongo, St. James Primary School, Agodi and a primary school at Iyana Church.
    The schools’ roofs were blown off.
    Many homes were reportedly flooded, especially at Ashi Bodija, Ibadan.
    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Prof Joseph Olowofela described the damage as shocking.
    He said: ” It is shocking. The damage is extensive but we thank God that there was no life lost. Some of the schools’ roofs were blown away.
    “We are still receiving reports from other areas. When that is done, then we will be able to know the cost of the damage.”

  • Rainstoarms wreak havoc in Ekiti

    Many towns in Ekiti are in darkness, with scores of houses damaged by rainstorm at the weekend, following a downpour in various parts of the state.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many roofs were blown off while electric poles, trees as well as billboards were swept away.

    NAN reports that the affected towns and villages, included Ado-Ekiti, Ifaki, Ido, Osi, Ora and Orin as well as several parts of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area.

    In Ado-Ekiti, over 25 houses had their roofs blown off at Ile-Ileri quarters, on Afao-Ekiti Road.

    Some of the victims appealed to the emergency management agencies to come to their aid.

     

  • Flood wreaks havoc in Kwara, destroys electric poles

    Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state has directed the permanent secretaries in the ministries of Works and Environment to inspect the areas affected by the recent flood that wreaked havoc in the state.

    Speaking on the development, the senior special assistant on Media and Communication to the governor, Dr. Muideen Akorede, said the state government is saddened by the incident.

    He said the government officials directed to inspect the affected areas are expected to give on-the-spot assessment on the damages, those affected and prevent a re-occurrence.

    Said he: “You will recall that the state government set up a committee headed by the immediate past commissioner for Works, Dr. Amuda Kannike last year to come up with a recommendation on the affected areas and the people with a view to relocating them.

    Meanwhile, de-silting of drainage and construction of drainages opposite Royal Shekinah and other roads along the axis were planned for.

    “Unfortunately, funds have affected our ability to complete the work because we could not give the contractor all the necessary money to complete the work on the road. Nevertheless, the governor has asked for reports on the incident with a view to implementing remedies and resettling those affected.

    Flood caused by torrential rains on Thursday evening destroyed electricity poles, shops and vehicles in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    The rains which started around 4.30 pm lasted for about three hours. They started like a drizzle cascading into a heavy downpour wrecking havoc in parts of the metropolis.

    Areas hardest hit by flood includes; Omoseebi Hospital and Pipeline in Gaa-Akanbi; Adisco, Royal Shekinah, Pipeline Offa Garage, Unity, Cocacola in the metropolis.

    It could be recalled that similar kind of flood, occurred in some of these areas last year, which claimed the lives of two school pupils and destroying property worth millions of Naira.

    Then the state government took some measures to forestall recurrence of the incidence.( One of the measures then was the opening up of the cover of a drainage at the front of an hotel in the area believed to be obstructing free flow of water in the drainage.

    Narrating their ordeal, some the residents of the areas said that there would have been casualties if the incident had happened in the dead of night when people would have slept off.

    It was also gathered that most culverts, drainages and gutters along major roads and streets in the areas were flooded, while the flood spread into nearby houses and shops to destroy property.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday in Ilorin, some of the residents appealed to the federal government to intervene in the perennial flood occurrence in the affected areas of Ilorin metropolis, saying that the past efforts of the state government at solving the problem had not yielded any solution.

    Alhaji Abdulwaheed Adigun, who owns an Engineering company; Adisco Nigeria Limited, along Offa Garage Road said the area started to experience perennial flood disaster since the dualisation of the Challenge-Offa Garage Road.

    “The road was in single lane with about six-feet wide and deep drainage on both sides of the road. We were not experiencing this annual flood then. But since government constructed the dual express road, the drainage on both sides of the road was reduced to about three feet. It’s now narrow! So, it cannot contain the volume of water from such areas like Offa Garage, Gaa Akanbi, Omoseebi and the rest. And so we have this flooding.

    “Whenever it rains and the drainage is filled up, it spreads to our houses, shops and pulled down our fences, destroyed our roads and other valuable property.

    Alhaji Adigun, therefore urged the federal government to come to the aid of the people of the affected areas and end their suffering by taking up the challenge. He said the problem had gone beyond the capacity of the state government since it had not been able to fulfil its pledge at finding lasting solution to the perennial flooding problem.

    Also speaking, Mr. Sunday Alabi, a community leader at Omoseebi area of Ilorin metropolis said the concerned authorities should assist the people of the area with the dredging of rivers and streams in the affected areas, adding that this should be complemented with channeling of the rivers.

    “We thank the state government for this bridge. But this our bridge at Omoseebi community linking us with other areas of the metropolis is narrow. More especially, it gathers refuse easily making it difficult for water to pass under freely. When refuse block the water flow it spreads to houses nearby. Government should re-channel the river and give us bigger and stronger bridge to contain this flood challenge. At least, we support the government with our votes, they should come to our support too in this our time of need”, he said.

    Innocent Ibe, who lives at Royal Shekinah area also said that residents of the area are usually apprehensive and frightened whenever it is about to rain because of usually attendant flooding.

    Ibe said that widening of the drainage on both sides of the Offa Garage-Challenge road would solve the perennial problem of flooding in the area.

    He cautioned residents to change their attitude of dumping refuse in drainage and gutters.”

  • The havoc money does

    Money. For this five-letter word, many can do the unthinkable. Some can kill their wives; some their husbands or their children and yet others their siblings or parents for money. It is a good thing to aspire to be rich; to have money in order to stand up to others when it matters most. A man without money finds it difficult to measure up with others, especially his peers. He is tongue-tied when they talk not because he does not know what to say, but because he considers himself inferior to them.

    It is a good thing to be rich; to be able to acquire all that we desire in life. But affluence does not come easy. It takes a lot of hardwork; though some get rich by luck; society is not interested in how people make their money. What it is interested in is seeing you as rich or poor. So, it is common to hear people say with glee, ‘’see, that is that rich man coming’’, or with hiss, Abeg make you no let that poor man see me. Society does not respect the poor, but it revers the rich. The rich are demigods who are treated like royalty anywhere they go.

    Money has become the god that society worships. Whether old or young, we share the same attitude when it comes to money matters. Our family members expect the world from us once we are fortunate to hold an important office, whether in the public or private sector. To them, that office should be a passport to our wealth. No matter how much or how little the office pays, it must be enough to take care of the need of every member of our family. If it isn’t, God help us. The next best thing is to steal. And many have done that to their peril.

    The most unfortunate thing is that those for whom many dipped their hands into the public till will be the first to disown them when the chips are down. Yet, we never learn from the downfall of those who preceded us in office. We tend to believe that they were caught because they were not smart. We see ourselves as smarter and in that wise will never be caught. In our country, public service is the easiest way to making it big. This is why many jostle to become president, governors, lawmakers, ministers, commissioners, local government chairmen or councillors and so on and so forth.

    The Presidency is the highest office in the land and whoever occupies the exalted office has the power of life and death. He can make or mar people. With a stroke of his pen, he can turn an ordinary man into an extra-ordinary person; though he is not our Heavenly Father, he is god on earth because of the enormous powers of his office. The president, if he so wishes, can make you rich – all he needs do is to give you  a juicy appointment or get you a mouthwatering contract. It is because of this that some presidents have come to see themselves as deities who must be worshipped, forgetting that it is God that lifts up some and brings down others.

    Presidents may have the power of life and death, but it will do them well  to remember that they are not God. So, they cannot give what they do not have. They only have the power of life and death to the extent that they can sign or refuse to sign the warrant of those sentenced to death; they cannot create life. But many of us tend to forget that in our desperate search for wealth. So, if anything is thrown at us, we grab it with both hands, without considering the repercussion. Today, President Goodluck Jonathan is spending money as if it is going out of fashion all in his bid to win the March 28 election.

    As president, Dr Jonathan lacks nothing. The treasury is in his pocket; the security agencies are in his hands. In fact all institutions of government are in his palm.  At a snap of his finger, the Central Bank will empty its vault for him. So, for this election, cash is not his problem; it is how to spend it that is giving him sleepless nights. The president and his men have been spending our money for his political campaign, while many Nigerians are groaning under the crushing weight of naira devaluation. At a time naira is exchanging at over N200 to the dollar at the black market, he is busy using the greenback to woo key members of the society to his side.

    Since he knows the power of money, he has been using it to the utmost to boost his chances at the poll. He believes that by buying some religious and traditional leaders, artistes, students union, outlawed ethnic militias, and  former militants, among others, he is on his way to winning the election. He may yet be disappointed. If he likes, let him spend all the dollars in this world that may not guarantee his victory at the poll. What is the point in giving N7billion to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)? Is it to build a cathedral on the eve of a major election? What is the point in giving N9billion pipeline protection contracts to former militants’ leaders? To rehabilitate them?

    What is he up to in giving millions of dollars to traditional rulers across the country? To renovate their palaces? Nigerians are no fools; they know why their president is doing all this.  In a land bursting with hunger and poverty, many are outraged over what is happening and they have resolved to make their anger known  at the poll. They are annoyed that the money now being shared by the president could have gone a long way in creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

    They also see through his late-hour job offer and N75milion gift to family members of those who died in the Immigration recruitment stampede across the country last year. To many, it was a little too late. The question they are asking is why wait until the eve of an election before relieving these families of their pains one year after the incident? The president and his men believe that this is the way to win the forthcoming election. Is it? Let’s wait and see.

  • Rainstorm wreaks havoc in Oyo

    Rainstorm wreaks havoc in Oyo

    A rainstorm on Monday evening destroyed property worth millions of naira in Oyo town, Oyo State.

    Affected areas include Boroboro, Isokun, Sabo, Akesan, Obananko, Owode, Agunpopo, Alliance, Oke-ebo, Sakutu Ogbegbe, Ilora, Fiditi, Iware, Awe and Akinmorin.

    The storm, which started around 5 pm, lasted about 30 minutes and was followed by a two-hour downpour.

    Some of the victims urged the government to come to their aid.

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Oyo Federal Constituency election, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, inspected the affected areas yesterday.

     

  • Rainstorm wreaks havoc

    A three-hour rainstorm has destroyed no fewer than 180 structures including residential homes, schools and hospitals in Musawa, headquarters of Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    The disaster was the second in about two weeks following a similar occurrence on May 29 that destroyed 50 structures in the town.

    The Chairman of the council’s Transition Committee,Alhaji Tanimu Kira told newsmen after inspecting the affected areas that a committee had been set up to verify the extent of the damage, adding that a relief package would be distributed to the victims.

    He said that the council had provided the victims with temporary accommodation pending intervention by the state and federal governments.

    He also said that the council had distributed 100 bags of cement on June 11 to the victims of the May 29 incident, noting that the gesture was an interim measure to cushion the hardship faced by the people.

    He described the incident as the Will of God, and cautioned people against indiscriminate refuse disposal and blocking of waterways.

    Kira said such acts were responsible for environmental pollution, and stressed the need for collective effort to protect the environment.

    He also advised the residents to refrain from indiscriminate felling of trees, but rather to cultivate the habit of planting trees to replace lost ones to check desert encroachment.