The Osun State Government has pledged to take action following flooding recorded in several communities after days of heavy rainfall across the state.
The downpour between Friday and Monday affected parts of Osogbo, including Ayekale, Famson Area, Oke Baale, Sasa and Ilesa Garage, leaving residents concerned about further damage to their homes and belongings.
Flooding was also reported along Muroko Road in Ilesa after the Ora River overflowed its banks. A bridge connecting Ijaaregbe with Ilesa was damaged, disrupting movement between the community and the city centre.
Other affected communities included Ijana, Ibala, Ayegunle, Idooko and Eesun Ijesa, where the flooding disrupted the movement of people, goods and services.
Some residents of Ayekale, including Akin Olugbodi and Shekinat Olaegbe, said they lost valuables to the flood. Olaegbe, a widow, appealed to the government to urgently clear blocked water channels and address the recurring flooding.
The Olomu of Ijaaregbe, Oba Edward Adetimo, also confirmed that the bridge linking the community to Ilesa was damaged during the heavy rainfall.
According to the monarch, the bridge was affected by the downpour around midnight. He said the lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency, Adewumi Adeyemi, and other officials visited the area to assess the damage.
He added that the community was informed that officials from the Ministry of Works would visit to provide a temporary solution while plans were made for a permanent reconstruction.
The damaged bridge also affected students travelling to schools in Ilesa, prompting the monarch to appeal to the state government for urgent assistance.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, said the government had taken preventive measures against flooding before the rainy season.
Adejoorin said such measures included dredging waterways and sensitising residents against dumping refuse in drainage channels and waterways.
He explained that the recent damage to the bridge and box culvert connecting Ilesa with Ijaaregbe and neighbouring communities fell largely under the responsibility of the Ministry of Works, which he said had commenced efforts to address the situation.
