Governor Seyi Makinde

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Sunday November 10, 2019 expressed the readiness of his administration to take pro-active measures in preventing flood and disasters in the state.

Speaking at the flag-off of the Mid-term review of the World Bank-sponsored Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, Makinde, stated that the government would change the approach to natural disasters and their impacts from the reactive mode to a proactive approach.

According to a statement signed by the governor’s media aide, Taiwo Adisa, the governor stated that government would continue to collaborate with the World Bank on the IUFMP to develop ways to move from a reactive approach to disasters to a more proactive one of pre-empting and preventing natural disasters and reducing the disastrous impact.

According to the statement, “We will continue to give optimal support to the project until it completes its eight-year circle and realises its laudable objectives: “to provide fundamental and far-reaching solutions to the perennial and incessant flooding that has become typical of Ibadan. It saddens us that this last September, the communities of Oke Odo and Oke-Bola suffered heavy losses due to flooding. That is why we are presently working on the channelisation of major rivers in the state. The channelisation of the Ogunpa River and others will increase floodwater runoff capacity. We are also continually educating and sensitising our people on the dangers of poor sanitation and building houses in areas that contribute to flooding. Our four environmental tribunals will act swiftly to enforce our environmental laws”.

Governor Makinde, who noted that the government remained committed to the successful implementation of the IUFMP, maintained that the Mid-Term Review of the intervention was imperative adding, “We need to concretize agreements, iterate outcomes, and ensure that nothing interferes with the smooth running of this project going forward”.

Also speaking at the venue of the Mid-term review, Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, stated that the review “afforded the government the opportunity to identify some areas of critical interventions that need to be factored into the project in order to ensure the full realization of its objectives”.