Ekiti labour tasks Fayemi on flooding, erosion control

WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Ekiti State, has appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to enforce the implementation of the erosion control masterplan drawn for the state at its creation in 1996.

Commiserating  with the victims of the recent flooding, especially  workers and students of Ekiti State University, TUC urged the governor to prepare a new masterplan for Ado-Ekiti city if none had been provided to rescue the situation in the past.

Chairman of the TUC in Ekiti,  Com. Sola Adigun, who led other leaders of the council on inspection of some of the areas affected including, Onala, Emirin, and Oke Ureje, Polytechnic road among others on Friday, expressed shock at the level of devastation caused by the flood.

“The level of this devastation appears unprecedented. This is unarguably heightened by the reality of climate change responsible for the rise in water level. Unfortunately, the attitude of our people such as building on waterways, indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainage compounds this challenge.”

Speaking with newsmen during the visit, Adigun commended Fayemi for his prompt visit to the areas and donation of relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected EKSU students. He also lauded other agencies which had visited the areas.

While calling on other agencies to complement the efforts of the state government, he also called for the mobilisation of experts to save the Ureje Bridge from total collapse.

The TUC chairman stressed the need for urgent dredging of the Ureje River and other Rivers prone to overflowing their natural course, pleading with the Federal government to provide financial support for the state.

Adigun who charged residents to desist from dumping waste inside water channels, contended that it was time for the government to ensure that no one, no matter how highly placed, built structures on waterways and other areas that could affect environmental sanity.