By RAZAQ BAMIDELE
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Thursday called on the Federal Government to order contractors handling the channelisation of the Asa River in the state back to site, saying the drainage was poorly done and is too narrow to prevent flooding in the areas and loss of human lives and properties.
AbdulRazaq said he had written to the Federal Government about the threats the poor job poses to the people of the state, especially residents of Ilorin, the state capital.
“This (channelisation) was long awarded. They didn’t execute it properly. We have written them a letter that they should come and finish it. What they did is too narrow,” AbdulRazaq said during an on-the-spot assessment of the project at Mubo community of Ilorin, where Wednesday’s downpour claimed a lady (Adeyemi Lateefah).
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Lateefah was reportedly going to the Maraba motor park when she slipped into the flooded drainage.
AbdulRazaq commiserated with the family of the deceased, assuring them that a search team has been despatched to look for her and that the administration would ensure that proper steps are taken to ward off such incident in the future.
The Wednesday downpour caused instant flooding of the area owing to what residents called the poor construction of the Asa drainage.
AbdulRazaq has directed the Kwara State Ministries of Works and Transport and Environment and Forestry to immediately drain the flooded area, including a mega church where dozens of people were trapped following the downpour.
He also reiterated government’s appeal for people in flood-prone areas to evacuate such vicinities following national forecasts about heavy flooding across the country, including Kwara State.
The Governor’s appeal came on the heel of a statewide sensitisation by the administration on the need for people to leave the flashpoint already identified by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
Apart from the various sensitisation campaign that began with a news briefing in August, officials from the ministry and the Government House have since Monday kick started a new sensitisation tour of various areas of the state where flooding is expected.
Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the governor made the signed statement to the media.