NO fewer than 105 buildings were destroyed by a rainstorm at Oke-Ako in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Saturday evening.
The heavy downpour, which lasted for over two hours, also destroyed some electricity infrastructure across the town, thereby subjecting the residents to total blackout.
The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who condoled with residents of the community, described the occurrence as highly devastating.
Oyebanji, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, on Saturday, during a on-the-spot assessment of the level of the havoc wreaked on the town, assured the victims that government would “give all the necessary support to mitigate whatever effect this situation must have caused to your lives”.
He also advised residents to embrace tree-planting, assuring that the present administration is ready to support interested individuals to go into tree planting. The programmes will soon be rolled out to safeguard our environment and minimise havocs being wreaked on our buildings by rainstorm.
According to a statement on Sunday by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Victor Ogunje, Afuye said that based on information and the on-the-spot assessment, “roofs of scores of residential buildings and electricity facilities were destroyed during the stormy rainfall, thereby rendering many homeless and helpless.
“We sympathise with the victims at this trying time and plead for calmness, in the sense that a natural disaster of this nature is one occurrence that is difficult to control. But with personal precautions and right efforts, its effects can be minimised.
“Tree planting is very essential. I observed that landlords here are not planting trees, I am not seeing them standing beside our houses. Let us inculcate the habit of tree planting to serve as wind breakers against storms.
“Let me also assure you that the state government won’t abandon you and allow you to regret in these current devastating conditions. We shall give all the necessary support to mitigate whatever effect this situation must have caused to your lives,” she said.
The General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Jide Borode, said the rainstorm effect could have been minimised if the landlords had keyed into the tree planting initiative of the state government.
The deputy governor was taken round the affected areas by the Regent of Oke-Ako, Mrs Tinuade Ogunbiyi; Ekiti State House of Assembly member (Ikole 2), Adeoye Aribasoye, and the Chairman, Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Michael Ogungbemi.
