NEMA advises on drainage clearing
Ogun State government has issued a flood alert to residents of the state to be vigilant and careful of their environment as one of the major flood-prone areas in Nigeria, according to the classification made available by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, who gave the warning during a media briefing, yesterday, in Abeokuta, the state capital, said the flood alert was part of the ministry’s adaptation and mitigation strategies to enlighten the citizens of the vulnerability of various settlements and communities around the state.

He said the ministry, yearly, must issue flood alerts to residents towards raising their consciousness about flood and its adverse impacts on the environment and socio-economic life of the people.

He added that in the bid to further mitigate flooding in wetland areas of Isheri, Akute and Warewa, the state government had concluded plans to create more tributaries for Ogun Rivers and complete the dredging of Opa Aro River, saying the project had been billed to commence in April in phases, and with the de-silting of the Banku River to Majidun and Mawarere.

However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised CDAs and landlords to clear their immediate drainages to avert flooding as the rainy season begins.

The agency’s Head of Operations in Ibadan, Kadiri Olanrewaju, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen, yesterday.

Olanrewaju charged waste disposal agencies of local and state governments to expedite action on dirt clearing along drainage systems, river channels and canals.

Similarly, the National Coordinator of Whole Planet Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Margaret Adebukola, has issued a wake-up call for citizens to responsibly ensure proper drainage systems, in and around their environment.