Residents of Omu and Ijelu Ekiti, two neighbouring communities in Oye Local Government Area of the Ekiti State, on Wednesday, counted their losses as rainstorm blew off rooftops and destroyed the walls of their houses.
As of the time of filing this report, hundreds of residents had been dislodged from their residences by the devastating effect of the rainstorm that wreaked havoc on some buildings in the two neighbouring communities.
Mostly affected were churches, educational institutions and residential buildings, including the palace of Elejelu of Ijelu Ekiti, Oba Isaac Ajayi Adetoyinbo.
While inspecting the level of wreckage done to the structures, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, sympathised with the victims, assuring that the state government will take steps to alleviate their sufferings.
The governor directed those still residing in the affected buildings to vacate immediately, to avert being caught in the web of sudden building collapse.
Mr Oyebanji appealed to residents of the community to embrace the tree planting initiative of the state government, by planting trees within the radius of their residential area, to break storms and avert unwarranted destruction of property during heavy downpours.
“This is a sad incident, but the government is still coming for comprehensive assessment and enumeration. We shall surely help you to rebuild what you have lost.
Government entourage during the visit to one of the affected communities
“Our traditional rulers must help in sensitising our people on the need to take some precautionary measures in their council and town meetings by way of encouraging them to plant trees around their houses. This is part of the ways to prevent disasters of this nature,” the governor counselled.
Mr Oyebanji also advised the residents to undertake some palliative works on their dilapidated buildings, saying some of the structures were already decrepit and no longer habitable.
Applauding the governor for the visit, a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, representing Oye Constituency II, Idowu Odebunmi, urged the victims not to despair, saying the state government would come to their aid to rebuild the destroyed structures.
Mr Odebunmi commended Mr Oyebanji for the speedy reconstruction works being undertaken on the Itapa-Ijelu-Omu road, assuring that the town shall reciprocate the gesture in the subsequent elections.
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“You all know where Governor Oyebanji stands. He is a man of the people. He won’t abandon you at this trying time. He has mandated the SEMA office to do the enumeration of the affected structures to ascertain the level of the damage and how to help you.
“Over 30 buildings were affected in the two towns with scores of people now rendered homeless,” the lawmaker revealed.
Another affected structure
Making a case for the victims, the monarch, Owajumu of Omu-Ekiti, Adeyeye Ogundeyi, lauded the governor for the assessment tour, noting that it signposted that the current leadership in the state cared about the people.
Oba Ogundeyi revealed that a total of 22 houses were affected in his domain, with some losing their roofs while their walls were also destroyed during the stormy rain.