The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has assured those who fell victims of rainstorm in some communities that the government won’t abandon them to suffer at this trying time.
Oyebanji said just as he had displayed in the past, that the government would provide relief materials to the victims to rebuild their damaged structures, regretting how citizens were subjected to harrowing experience of homelessness due to the incident in many parts of the state.
Oyebanji gave the assurance on Monday, while inspecting buildings affected by rainstorm in Iyin, Ifaki and Usi Ekiti, with scores of victims rendered homeless due to the wreckage suffered on buildings numbering over 100 in the three towns.
Mostly hit by the tornado were private residential buildings, Police Staff Quarters, religious centres, and lock up shops, spread across the three towns.
Speaking during the on- the- spot assessment, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, restated the imperative of landlords conducting regular maintenance on their structures to abate the recurrent cases of building collapse during stormy downpour.
The governor said embracement of maintenance culture, coupled with tree planting around residential buildings to break the storm, are two strategic panaceas to avert landlords falling victims of this traumatizing occurrence.
Oyebanji appealed to the monarchs to spread the gospel of tree plating during their council meetings, so that the policy being propagated by government can sink deeper into the minds of the people.
“We are not always happy when this kind of incident happened, because many will be rendered homeless and those affected will be seeking emergency financial assistance, which might be traumatizing in most cases.
“This is the more reason why we have been preaching on local radio for our people to brace up for the coming rainy season by way of making sure they look after their shelters, this is very important.
“We have always been standing by you and we will do same under this circumstance. We will provide relief materials to support you to rebuild your buildings. We assure you that won’t abandon you to suffer”.
On how the victims will be captured, Oyebanji stated that the staff of the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency will visit the communities to undertake thorough enumeration of the damaged structures and landlords affected to guide the government in its intervention.
Expressing sadness over the calamity, the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Ajakaye, applauded the government for the quick response, describing this as highly commendable and a way of exhibiting leadership that will assuage the feelings of the distraught victims.
“I called around 9pm on Sunday to tell the government about this happening and you are here early today. this further showed that the government of Biodun Oyebanji recognizes and respects the welfare of the people and we are happy that you have promised to help the victims, we are grateful about this.
“We are pleased with this government and we are going to support it at all times, it is BAO all the way, because no citizen can reject a government that is performing and making them happy”.
Expressing grief over the frightening level of wreckage experienced in his town, the Olufaki of Ifaki Ekiti, Oba Adegbenro Falore, said most affected in his community were aged and poor citizens, who are financially incapacitated.
Oba Adegbenro added that most dejected scenario to him was a 100-year old blind woman, whose building was completely damaged during the stormy rainfall.
“We are happy that the governor is a kindhearted man, who has always been listening to our requests and I know that he won’t let us down.
“We are going to escalate the campaign for maintenance culture on buildings and tree planting here during our council meetings. We are also assuring our governor that we will continue to support all his policies and programmes”.
One of the victims and 95-year old woman, Mrs Julianah Ademilua, said she had been homeless since Saturday when the rainstorm blew off her building, urging the government to consider her age and come to her aid promptly.