The Oyo State House of Assembly has proposed dredging of rivers and waterways across local government in the State to avoid possible destructive flooding effects in the State.
In a motion jointly moved by lawmakers representing Ido constituency, Hon. Razak Mabaje, Hon. Bimbo Oladeji representing Ogbomoso North and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi representing Ona Ara during the plenary on Tuesday in Ibadan, it was stated that each time there is heavy down pour, most rivers across the State usually overflow their banks leading to flooding and its attendant negative consequences.
According to Mabaje, while speaking on the motion, he said flooding renders adjoining roads unpassable for hours and sometimes days.
He said, “There were reported cases of pregnant women who were in labour but could not be transported to health facilities due to flooded and impassable roads.
“When rivers overflow their banks, even farmers are prevented from transporting farm produces to the city which leads to culminated wastages and subsequently food insecurity.”
While commenting on the house resolution, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin called on the ministry of environment and water resources to urgently dredge and clear the waterways of rivers in the state in order to avert the negative consequences of flooding in the state.
According to him, the ministry of local Government and Cheiftaincy matters and Ibadan urban Flood Management projects also have to put measures in place for the rehabilitation of the bridges and the waterways in order to ensure safety of lives and properties of the citizenry.
“We want the ministry of information and culture to intensify efforts towards sensitization of the citizenry on the danger of dumping refuse on waterways and other flood prone areas.
“All the 33 local government and 35 local council development areas respectively to make proper use of the escalators bought for them for dredging of the waters/rivers,” he added.
Addressing the issue of gang violence in Ibadan, the lawmaker call on community leaders to collaborate with the Nigeria police with a view to provide necessary logistics for the siting of Police stations and police posts at required locations in the city.
Ogundoyin said, “Unemployment, peer group influence and other social factors were responsible for violence in the neighbourhood.
“The committee also noted that unscrupulous sitting of drug joints in the neighbourhood was contributory to the incidence of criminal activities in the area.
“The house have therefore call on the Nigerian police force to as a matter of duty deploy more armed patrol team to fish out suspected hoodlums who were using the premises of some schools in Molete, Ibadan Southwest constituency I to perpetrate their nefarious activities.”
