The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has promised to provide palliatives for the victims of a rainstorm that destroyed some houses at Ilokun, a farmstead under Ado Ekiti, the state capital, News About Nigeria reports.
According to him, this is a necessary gesture to alleviate the effects of the calamity.
It was gathered that a torrential downpour, accompanied by a heavy storm, lasted for over two hours and dismantled over seven buildings in the community located along Ado-Iworoko road.
Speaking on Monday in the community, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, expressed the Governor’s condolences to the victims, promising that the government would provide support to cushion the effects on the victims.
Afuye, according to a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, admonished the victims to compile their lists and send them to the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (EKSEMA) for immediate action.
The Deputy Governor, accompanied by officials of EKSEMA and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), pleaded with the residents to embrace a maintenance culture for their buildings to check recurrent cases of wreckage during a rainstorm.
According to him, “Let me, on behalf of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, sympathize with you on this unexpected occurrence. She directed me to be here for an on-the-spot assessment of the level of wreckage on your buildings.
“We thank God that no life was lost and whatever has happened to your buildings can still be repaired, but any life that is lost can’t be replaced. This is how I want you to view this matter.
“You know that our government is pro-masses; we are going to help you in whatever way we can to cushion whatever effect this occurrence is having on you.
“We thank God that the officials of NEMA and EKSEMA are here with me. They will start acting immediately you submit your letters to their offices.
“But I want our people to always take actions that can prevent their buildings from being blown away by the storm. We must try and make the right renovations on our structures before the beginning of the raining season.
“What we lack mainly is maintenance culture, and we have to change our orientation in the interest of our safety.”
Responding on behalf of the victims, Rasheed Akinrinade applauded the government for deeming it fit to assess the level of wreckage in the community, saying this further attested to the widespread notion that Governor Oyebanji is a pro-masses leader.
He pleaded with the state government to release the promised relief materials on time to help combat the suffering of those whose houses were destroyed by the heavy wind.
