A development expert and Coordinator, Global Development Initiative (GNI), Engineer Michael Ale, has called on the Ekiti State Government to revisit the state’s master plan and seek for intervention from the World bank to address the perennial flood that ravages the state.

Following a torrential rainfall that lasted several hours on Monday and Tuesday, three people were reportedly swept away by flood, while many people were displaced and several millions property destroyed in Ado Ekiti.

Reacting to the development, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, Ale said that government must act to prevent yearly occurrence of the flood by seeking fund to dredge the waterways, clear drainages and constuct bridges were necessary.

“There is need to channel the passage of water properly so that when flood occurs, it does not cause havoc. So there is a dire need to plan our environment well in a way flood would not cause problems when it rains heavily. Such plan is very important.”

Speaking further on the need for intervention, Ale said: “World bank had once intervened when there was massive flooding in lbadan, they made a very big drainage that has since solved the problem. The Oyo state government then asked for help from the World Bank solved the problem once and for all.

“Ekiti State can do the same. We should not just forecast, but let us ask for meaningful intervention that will address the flood issue holistically and solve the problem once and for all, like it has been done in lbadan.

“Ekiti state should ask for help from Federal Government and from the world bank to assist in solving the problem once and for all.”

He noted that while forecasting of the weather is good, there should also be proactive measures to curb flooding. “The announcement enlightening people on the cautionary steps to take to avoid being victims of flood should be made much earlier not when the rainy season starts.

“There should also be urban planning and control, so that we don’t have a situation whereby building would block water ways.

 “Ekiti State has a 30-year Development Plan which included flood control, sustainable urbanization and environmental resilience as pillars. But where is the Monitoring and Evaluation?

Flooding in Ado Ekiti is caused principally by violation of the State Development Plan, but there is no quarterly M&E dashboard that says: “Elemi dredging: Not Done. Ureje desilting: 40% Done. Building approvals on waterways: 15 illegal approvals.

“If we have a statutory M&E Agency reporting to the House of Assembly, not to the Governor, with powers to publish compliance, flood would reduce by 70%.

“We mourn those who are victims of the ravaging flood, as I call on philanthropists, good spirited organizations to assist the victims with palliatives to mitigate their suffering.

“Development is a collective plan. We must have a master plan for development. I know Ekiti has such plan, so, we should adhere to such plan so that as we develop, we don’t disrupt channels that protect us from floods. Our government should be proactive in this matter and take concrete steps towards getting ecological fund and world bank assistance,” he s