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Ogun Govt Alerts Residents On Flooding,Assures Safety For Both Hilly and Wetland Dwellers

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Ogun State Government, on Tuesday urged residents on wetland areas to relocate to safer ground before the rain commences fully.

The rain according to the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) would commence from March and end in December, 2024 with an average rainy period of two hundred and thirty-nine days (239) and an average precipitation of 1786.5mm, affecting sixteen out of the twenty local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, who made this known during the year 2024 Ogun State Flood Alert in conjunction with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) held at the Olusegun Osoba Press Center, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, also said that local government areas such as Imeko-Afon, Odeda, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South would experience the lowest rainfall.

The commissioner, while noting that people who are located in the hilly areas are going to experience erosion as a result of the speed of the water, called for calm as the state government is putting measures in place to cushion the effects of the expected heavy rainfall.

“It is either you relocate from the area or you elevate; may be you want to reconstruct your house or do some kind of elevation if you must stay in that area. Every year, we talk about relocation. It is not easy to relocate. If you must leave in those areas, make sure that your electronics, your chairs, whatever can be damaged is being elevated.

“When we talk about relocation and elevation, it is going to be predominantly around this area. People leaving within the wetland of the state are supposed to prepare for this increase in the height of the water because we are going to have a retention of this lockdown around this period.

“So, people who are located in the hill areas are going to have some kind of erosion because of the speed the water will take in running down around the Ilaro area and some areas in Ota. We are going to have what we call erosion that is going to accompany this kind of flooding for the year.

The other areas that we will have the impact which is later on are people that are leaving within the wetland of the state and the wetland area are predominantly Southern parts of the state and this are almost flat land, low line land because this are the border towns between Lagos and Ogun State,” he said.

Oresanya also said that the state government is set to complement its various efforts at addressing the menace of flooding with the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini-bridges/culverts and the desilting and clearing of 56.150m length of river across the state.

“The state government wish to complement its efforts in addressing the menace of flooding by the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini bridges/culverts, desilt and clear 56.159m length of river/stream courses and desilt 40,000m length of drainage channels across the three senatorial districts of the state.

“Some of the areas includes construction of drainage channels and culverts at Wesley Primary School, Ijebu-Ode; reconstruction of dilapidated culvert at Saje Dumpsite road; Apakila (Abeokuta); Igbosoro (Ogijo, Sagamu), Imasai, desilting of rivers/stream courses at Yemile (Ijebu-Ode); Sensen river (Sagamu), Onibuku (Ota); Odo-funfun (Oja-Odan), Opa Aro (Isheri), Sokori river and tributaries while desilting of drainages channel will take place at Abeokuta, Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ota among others,” he said.

The commissioner, who noted that the length of the raining season for the coastal areas ranges between 250 to 292 days while that of inland areas is between 200 to 250 days, encouraged farmers to start planting.

He urged fish farmers to harvest before the peak of the raining season in July and advised poultry farmers against stocking density during the period, which started two months back.

Oresanya also called on the people of the state to apply for ‘drainage permit’ before constructing their drainages.

This, he said, would ensure that drainages have the right elevation for the passage of water.

The drainage permit, he added, will guide residents against building on flood plains and wetlands unknowingly during the dry season.

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA; Engr. Olufemi Odumosu said that OORBDA has been holistic while focusing on the structural measures for flood control.

According to him, Oyan Dam has been responsible for the supply of bulk water to Ogun and Lagos states, irrigation infrastructure for agriculture, flood control, hydro power generation potentials, researches and transportation as well as tourism which he said is yet to be fully tapped.

Odumosu mulled the need for a collaboration between OORBDA and the Ogun State government in the area of tourism, saying that the partnership would help to generate more revenue.

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Abiodun Promises to End Hooliganism and Tyranny in Ogun

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Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state has promised to end acts of hooliganism and tyranny in the state.
He said the era of hooliganism must end in Ogun state and he was ready to safeguard peace and security as the state chief security officer.
Abiodun made the vow, while hosting the newly elected chairmen and councilors in the Saturday local government poll at the presidential annex, Ibara GRA in Abeokuta.
According to the governor, certain individuals hired thugs and brought illegal policemen into the state, to disrupt the Saturday local government poll in the state.
In the process, the governor said they attacked the vice chairman of a local government in his home town.
The governor vowed that anyone, irrespective of his status, found culpable in the attack, would face the wrath of the law.
He said the illegal policemen imported into the town were disarmed, arrested and now in police custody at the command headquarter Eleweran.
The governor tasked the new council’s chairmen to implement policies and programmes that would impact the lives of the people.
Speaking on behalf of the new council chiefs, the new Sagamu local government chairmen, Olasile Odulate promised that they would work towards improving the lives of people in their respective areas.

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Ogun Transport Unions Commend Govt. On Task Force Initiative, Caution IPMAN

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The major Transport Unions in Ogun State have commended the government in the State for setting up Special Task Force to monitor the activities of filling stations over alleged sharp practices.

The Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ogun State, Alhaji Mustapha Adewale, popularly known as Yaro on Friday berated the reaction of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over the activities of the Task Force, saying such reaction is out of place and unbecoming of a noble association like IPMAN.

He said instead of criticising and threatening showdown on the issue, the association ought to have painstakingly and diligently conduct investigation to ascertain the veracity of allegation of sharp practices among its members in Ogun State, which necessitated the setting up of Task Force to curb the menace. 

The NURTW boss noted that the ultimate rationale behind the initiative by the Ogun State Government was to protect the people from crude extortion in the face of current economic hardship in the land, adding that the association must support the good intention of the government to sanitize the system against sharp practices.

” I am also a petrol dealer,  I have filling stations across the State and the government carried us along in the process that brought about the Task Force. The surresptious extortion of the people by many filling stations around the  State is very disturbing and annoying.

“You can imagine a situation when motorists got seven litres of fuel after and paying for ten litres, in the case of  commercial drivers, situation like this responsible for hike in transport fare, meaning that the people are the ones to bear the brunt of that anomaly.

“That is the reason the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun,  being a sensitive and responsive government came up with Task Force to put stop to this infraction in order not to add more burden to the people, it is  a very laudable and commendable initiative that requires the support of all”, Yaro said.

In the same vein, the Secretary of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria(RTEAN) Comrade Tiwalade Akingbade, also known as Paulo Rossi has carpeted IPMAN over the development, arguing that there is no ground for their resistance to the activities of Task Force except they have ‘ skeleton in their cupboard ‘.

Akingbade explained that the setting up of the Task Force was part of the frantic efforts of Dapo Abiodun-led administration to ease the burden of hike in pump price of PMS in the effect that payment should commensurate with the volume of product and not the other way round. 

He further said that the government in the State has done a lot in making life comfortable for the people and ameliorating  the present economic predicament in the country by various interventions, including conversion of fossil fuel vehicles to CNG free of charge for many commercial drivers.

11According to him”, The original motive of the Task Force was to sanitise the system against some unscrupulous elements who are out to short change the people notwithstanding the harsh economy. How can one explain getting 25 litres of fuel instead of 30 litres; it is not acceptable and IPMAN should diligently approach  the Task Force to confirm the number and names of its members that have been apprehended for this infraction instead of threatening fire and brimstone without recourse to reality and good intention of the government in the State”.

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Ogun Amotekun to Recruits 700 personnel

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Ogun state Amotekun corps is recruiting additional 700 personnel to boost its strength to fight criminals across the state.
The fresh recruitment started October 29 and is ending November 18.
The new Amotekun corps commander, retired brigadier general Alade Adedigba said the recruitment of additional personnel was approved by Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The commander in a statement said application for the job is free through the corps’ website on ogunstateamotekun.com.ng.
General Adedigba also said that applicants could visit the agency’s office directly.
He said screening of applicants will take place between November 25 and December 11.
The new commander has said the corps intends to focus on the state’s border communities to cope with influx of criminals into the state.

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