Ekiti State Government on Monday threatened to demolish houses constructed on waterways in the state to prevent flooding and unnecessary loss of lives and properties.
The Deputy Governor, Mrs. Monisade Afuye, who gave the directive, said marking and demolishing such structures would “discourage others from building on waterways and as well prevent calamity that can lead to death and wanton destruction of multimillion property.”
The Deputy Governor spoke in Ado Ekiti during a Stakeholders’ Engagement on National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign 2025 organised by the National Emergency Management Agency in conjunction with Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency.
Participants at the engagement included local government chairmen, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Red Cross, Nigeria Immigration Service, federal and state fire services, National Orientation Agency, civil servants, traditional rulers, and traders, among others.
She said, “The Nigeria Meteorological Agency predicted Ekiti as one of the possible flashpoints for flooding in 2025, which makes it expedient for the local government chairmen to prevent desertification, ensure regular desilting of waterways, encourage tree planting, construction of flood barriers, avoid building on flood-prone axes, and encourage community-based disaster strategy.”
“I want to appeal to NEMA and SEMA to partner the local government chairmen and take this campaign to all our council areas. They should work alongside the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning to mark all illegal structures on our waterways for possible demolition.
“Recently, the state witnessed various forms of disasters ranging from fire outbreaks, rainstorms, and others. The state government has been associating with the victims by giving them relief materials and cash gifts to alleviate their sufferings.
“We are soliciting the assistance of the Federal Government through NEMA for the allocation and release of relief materials. This will further complement the efforts of the state government in reducing the effect of the disasters on the victims,” she said.
NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar said the sensitisation programme was a swift response to the NiMet predictions that some states would be hit by flooding in 2025.
Umar, represented by NEMA Head of Research and Planning and Team Lead, Fred Anusim, who lamented the recent incident in Niger State where houses were submerged by flooding and many lives lost, said the danger was caused by human interference with nature.
She lauded NiMet and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency for their annual flood outlook that has helped in preventing calamities in the country through accurate predictions for each climatic year.
The DG said that the enlightenment “is the government’s approach through NEMA to sensitise the general public. It is our hope that this exercise will achieve the purpose it is meant for, especially for the people of Ekiti State and the communities identified by the predictions.”
NEMA Deputy Director, Disaster Risk Reduction, Dr. Evans Ugoh, who said disaster management has four phases—mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery—said, “We are here primarily for enlightenment on mitigation/prevention and preparedness actions by relevant stakeholders, state, local government, and communities.”
Ugoh said, “Mitigation/Prevention has to do with activities aimed at preventing disaster occurrence and proactive measures put in place to reduce the impacts if it eventually occurs.
“Preparedness has to do with activities taken in advance to ensure effective response to disaster occurrence, such as early warning systems, capacity building, public enlightenment, risk assessment and mapping, etc.”
SEMA General Manager, Mr. Oludare Asaolu said the proactive steps taken by Governor Biodun Oyebanji in dredging waterways and drainages had mitigated cases of flooding in Ekiti.
Asaolu warned that “recurrent incidences of flooding can cause death, contamination of water sources, disturb business activities, and outbreak of contagious and lethal diseases that can increase mortality rate among the populace.”
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