Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) has urged the people of Oke Ogun area of the state to guard against impending flood and other avoidable man induced disasters forecasted by weather experts.
The Secretary, Oyo State Emergency Management Agency Alhaji Luqman Aransi made the appeal in Saki on Thursday, 23rd of September 2021 during a sensitization tour of the area.
Speaking to traditional rulers, community leaders, top local government officials and disaster management personnel from six local government areas of the region – Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Irepo, Oorelope and Olorunsogo local government areas, Alhaji Aransi recalled that the Nigeria Meteorological Agency had predicted that heavy downpour would come up in October and would likely be accompanied by flood, rainstorms and other negative phenomena in twenty seven out of the thirty six states of the federation.
While pointing out that Oyo State, particularly Oke Ogun area of the state is among the risk zones, the OYSEMA Secretary enjoined inhabitants of the area to abstain from actions that could cause flood and rainstorms.
“Meteorologists have informed us that Oke Ogun is one of the flood prone areas in Nigeria. Therefore, we are appealing to our people to desist from practices that bring about flood, such as blocking of waterways through indiscriminate dumping of refuse in streams and rivers. We also enjoin people to stop felling trees without replacing them as this could aid rainstorms”, Alhaji Aransi said.
In their remarks at the sensitisation parley held at the Saki Town Hall, the Alepata of Igboho, Oba Joel Olawumi and the Alamodu of Ago Amodu, Oba Johnson Olaoye charged the people to ensure their environment is clean always.
The Royal Fathers further admonished their subjects to heed the warnings of disaster management experts.
Hosting the OYSEMA Sensitization Team in his palace, the Okere of Saki Oba Khalid Oyeniyi Ilugbemidepo 1 thanked the OYSEMA Sensitization Team for touring the area to enlighten residents and sought government assistance in controlling erosions impeding free movement of people and vehicles in some parts of the town.
The Okere of Saki also used the occasion to allay the fears of his people on the earth tremor recently experienced in the town, stressing that the incident is a natural phenomenon, not an end time sign as being speculated.
The OYSEMA Sensitization Team had earlier on Wednesday 22nd of September 2021 held similar exercise in Okeho, with a clarion call on residents of the area to desist from actions which are inimical to healthy habitation.
Aside the Secretary of OYSEMA, Alhaji Luqman Aransi, who is the leader of the Agency’s Sensitisation Team that carried out the two day tour of Oke Ogun area, other members included the Agency’s Deputy Director of Research and Resources Barrister Tayo Ayoade, the Deputy Director (Administration) Mrs Motunrayo Adeniji, the Social Welfare Officer Mrs Agboola A.O and the Deputy Director (News) from the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) Mr Adewale Tijani.
