Oyan Dam: Ogun communities reject Abiodun’s relocation advisory

The Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, urged residents of flooded areas and communities across the state to relocate immediately just as they had been advised about four months ago.

This is as the residents expressed their displeasure at the advisory while calling on the government to proffer a solution to the problem.

Some of the communities affected by the recent release of water from the Oyan Dam include Isheri, Riverview Estate, Oshorun Estate, OPIC Estate, Arepo, Mawere, Akute, Alagbole, Orimerunmu, and Magboro, among others.

The government urged residents in these areas to heed its earlier flood alert advisory to relocate or elevate their homes during this time of year.

The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, stated this on Wednesday in response to the flooding situation in the areas, which was necessitated by their lowland nature and the higher level of tidal fluctuation from river flooding, forcing the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to release excess water from the Oyan Dam.

Oresanya said, “The release of excess water from the Oyan Dam is unavoidable at this time to avert damage that might lead to unpalatable consequences.

“The residents of these areas should, however, be aware that the floodwater is expected to start receding significantly from Friday, October 25, through waterways, watercourses, and canals dredged and provided for that purpose earlier by the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

“These interventions aim to ameliorate the problem of flooding, and the state government is working assiduously with its Lagos counterpart and the Federal Government to find lasting solutions to the perennial flooding problems in these areas.

Reacting, the chairman of Isheri Estates Community, Gbenga Osobu, said the government should undertake some solutions that could put an end to the issue of flooding in the areas rather than give advisories on relocation.

According to him, residents have insisted on waiting in the community while waiting for a lasting intervention from the government.

He said, “What they are giving is a piece of expert advice. It is not easy for people to start packing their things. We have been used to it and we will find a way around it. For every problem, there is a solution. If Lagos could build Eko Atlantic, I don’t know how difficult it is for them to keep people in this community. Don’t forget that Eko Atlantic was built from the depth of an ocean. So, this is the space we want to move to.

“Somebody is in his house and he is hungry and does not know what to eat next, and you ask him to move to where he does not have a livelihood. We are not leaving, we want the problem to be solved with us. That is why we are here, nothing will happen, and nobody will die. For an engineering problem, there is always an engineering solution.”

The chairman of Riverview Estate, Abayomi Akinde, urged the government to take responsibility to end the flood crisis.

He said, “I want to remind the Ogun State Government that they were the ones that brought me here after I bought the land from them. I paid for capital development for infrastructure but nothing was done with it. Why should we leave when people cannot afford the cost of relocating? The cost of hotels is high.

“The government needs to take responsibility and end this flood crisis once and for all rather than ask us to relocate.”

“Our team is working diligently to restore services, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

When asked if customers would be compensated for the losses incurred during the disruption, she replied, “We’re assessing the impact.”