Ekiti Govt blames flooding on climate change, urges residents to stop blocking waterways

The Ekiti State Government has attributed the recurring flooding incidents in the state partly to changing environmental and climatic conditions, while urging residents to stop practices that obstruct waterways and worsen the impact of heavy rainfall.

The Chief of Staff to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Adeniyi Adebayo, said the government had invested significantly in drainage construction, desilting and other ecological interventions to reduce the risk of flooding across the state.

Adebayo spoke during a press conference on activities lined up for the second-term inauguration of the Oyebanji administration, where he defended the government’s environmental management efforts and called for greater cooperation between residents and relevant authorities.

Adebayo, who also serves as the chairman of the planning committee, said flooding had remained a recurring challenge in Ekiti over the years, stressing that the current administration had taken proactive measures to address the problem through infrastructure development and public awareness campaigns.

According to him, environmental challenges and changing weather patterns are not peculiar to Ekiti, as several parts of the world are also experiencing the effects of climate change.

Adebayo, however, noted that government interventions alone would not completely address the problem without responsible environmental practices by residents.

The Chief of Staff said the government had continued to disseminate flood warnings and safety advisories issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), urging residents to take such alerts seriously and act accordingly.

He said:

“Sometimes, when these warnings are released, our people either do not pay attention or, for whatever reason, fail to take the necessary precautions.

“We see situations where people dump refuse in canals or gutters, as we call them. All these are part of the channels through which water flows.

“The cause is partly attributed to the ozone layer depletion and it’s not entirely our fault. In another way, when the water cannot find the channel where it is supposed to run, it will always find its way elsewhere and we know what can happen when that occurs.”

He also announced that the state government had lined up a series of activities to mark the commencement of Governor Oyebanji’s second term in office.

The planning committee chairman said the activities would kick off on Friday, October 2, with a Jumat service slated for 1:00 p.m. at the Central Mosque in Ado-Ekiti.

The lineup would continue into the following week with the Ekiti Future Summit, which would hold on Wednesday, October 7, at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre, Ado-Ekiti.

This would be followed on Friday, October 9, by an eight-hour Sacrifice of Praise at the Government House Grounds from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Events progressing into the second week would feature an elderly citizens’ event scheduled for Monday, October 12, at the Adunni Olayinka Women’s Centre, Ado-Ekiti.

On Tuesday, October 13, Governor Oyebanji would present the State of the State Address at the Ekiti State House of Assembly Complex, followed by a command performance by the Ekiti State Performing Arts Company at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre on Wednesday, October 14.

The main inauguration ceremony for the Governor and Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, would take place on Friday, October 16, at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion and would be immediately followed by a state banquet at the Government House Grounds.

The celebration would officially conclude on Sunday, October 18, with a grand thanksgiving service at the Anglican Church Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti.