From Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has urged Governor Kayode Fayemi to speed up 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 appealed to the governor to prepare a new masterplan for Ado-Ekiti capital 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 other, on Friday, expressed shock at the level of devastation caused by the flood.
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“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 water ways, indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainage compound this challenge”.
Speaking with newsmen during the visit, Adigun, who commended Fayemi for his prompt visit to the areas and relief materials worth millions of naira for the affected EKSU students, while he also lauded other agencies which had visited the areas.
While calling on other agencies to compliment the efforts of the state government, 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 overflow their natural cause, pleading with the Federal Government to provide financial support for the state.
Adigun who charged residents to desist from dumping waste inside water, contended that it was time for the government to ensure that no one, no matter how highly placed, built structure on water ways and other areas that could affect environmental sanity.
The TUC boss said : “government must now put up a standard master plan for the state capital or decisively enforce the existing one if there is. We can not continue to indulge ourselves in our attitude towards the environment, nor continue to take the clement nature of our environment for granted, otherwise, we are all doomed by its consequences”.