- Residents of Agbara’s Area 8, OPIC Estate in Ogun State, face severe flooding, leading to property damage and displacement
- A letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun seeks help, including upgrading drainage systems and rehabilitating roads within the estate
Residents and property owners in Agbara, an industrial community in Ogun State’s Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, are counting their losses after perennial flooding devastated the area.
Residents of Area 8, OPIC Estate, in Agbara have been hit the hardest, complaining that the recent heavy rains had exposed them to flooding, damaging buildings and other belongings.
Many properties have been flooded, leaving many people with no choice but to relocate to a safe haven.
The victims described their situation as a ‘impending disaster’ in a letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The letter, co-signed by Estate Chairman Adebowale Odunayo and Assistant Secretary Iziokhai Ohioze, drew government attention to “the ravaging effect of incessant flooding that our community has been experiencing over time.”
According to them, the incident was “formally reported to OPIC Management on several occasions, but each visit ended with promises, which remain unfulfilled, leaving residents to the vagaries of nature.”
They claim that the frequency and severity of flooding in Area 8 have increased significantly in recent years.
They claim that the lack of drainage systems exacerbates the problem during downpours, “resulting in water entering our homes and causing damage to the foundations, walls, and interiors of our buildings.”
They added that the disaster had not only resulted in financial losses, but had also jeopardized the structural integrity of the houses.
Your Excellency Sir, please kindly come to our rescue. Our lives and properties are being challenged negatively. Our safety and in particular that of our children as well as aged amongst us is being put in jeopardy.
Sir, we solicit your approval for an immediate upgrade of the entire drainage architecture of the area. We equally crave the indulgence of Your Excellency for rehabilitation of the road within the OPIC Estate, particularly Roads 411, 800, 808, 81 which we believe if tarred, would complement the drainage system, they pleaded.