The Executive Secretary, Ife North Local Government Council of Osun State, Mr. Olanrewaju Ogunyimika, has said that the council is embarking on de-silting of drainages to prevent flooding.
Ogunyimika said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday.
He said that his administration embarked on the de-silting exercise in response to the prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency that there would be heavy rains in the South-West region this year.
Apart from clearing the silt, the executive secretary added that his administration had also constructed drainages to allow free flow of water in order to prevent flash flooding.
According to him, flooding is usually made worse by lack of provision for drainages during road construction.
He said flooding had resulted in huge loss of lives and property in many parts of the country, hence his determination to prevent this from happening in the council.
“We are removing debris and silt from our drainages all over the council area. We have also constructed drainages. We don’t want to be caught unawares, the prediction of NIMET that there would be heavy rainfall is there and we believe that our activities will prevent flooding even with the rains,” he said.
Ogunyimika urged the people of the area against dumping of refuse in the drainage, while appealing to them to dispose their waste at areas designated for it by the government.
He added that to prevent open defecation, the council had constructed VIP toilets at the Round-about Market, C&S Grammar School and CAC Grammar School, among others.
The council boss lauded the many road construction projects embarked upon by the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
He said the projects had opened up the state for development, adding that investors were now coming into the state because of the improved infrastructure.
Ogunyimika also said the urban renewal programme of the governor had demonstrated that hewas determined to ensure that the people of the state lived in a better environment.