Adiyan-Orudu residents cry out over bad roads, seek approval to construct flood drainage

The residents of Adiyan-Orudu Gasline community in Ifo Local Government area of Ogun State have called on the Nigerian Gas Company to come to their aid in tackling the menace of flood and lack of drainage system that is ravaging the community.

In a letter dated 25 January, 2022 addressed to the Managing Director, Nigerian Gas Company, Warri, Delta State, leaders of the community highlighted the hardships they’re facing as a result of the bad roads in Adiyan-Orudu, Gasline bus stop, which has become a death trap for motorists and residents.

The letter was written on the letterhead of the Temidire Olomowewe Gasline Area Community Development Committee (TOGAS) and co-signed by the General Secretary, Elder Kolawole Akinbodun, Chief Peter Akanji -Chairman and Elder R.O. Awe, the Ifo Zonal Vice Chairman.

Part of the letter reads: “We write to request for your approval, support and supervision of water drainage channelization along Adiyan-Orudu road, Gasline bus stop to alleviate the suffering of our community members during rainy seasons. It is always difficult to have through passage of the road during rainy periods as the area is always flooded with water and muddy sands, which always create impediments to smooth movement and business transactions along the axis.

“It is our belief that if the channelization of the water drainage is being thoroughly carried out under your keen supervision, easy passage and transaction will be better in the area.”

But two years later, the community is yet to get any response from the Nigerian Gas Company, even as the road continues to deteriorate despite communal efforts by some concerned residents to continually fill the roads with broken blocks, granites and sand.

Commercial and vehicular activities have paralyzed on the road, particularly during rainy seasons, as many business owners have relocated, while vehicle owners seek alternative routes and groan on the negative impacts of the roads on their vehicles, and the high cost of maintenance.

Some of the residents who spoke with our Reporter said there have been many casualties on the road during rainy periods. They noted that most of the victims are children going or returning from school.

Mr Jamiu Jooda a.k.a Ijaya, a 51 year-old indigene of Adiyan-Orudu Gasline said all vehicular movements are always on halt during rainy periods, as residents usually trek from the area to Agbado, a distance that is quite far.

“In fact, some people will not be able to come back, while others get back home as late as 1am. The flooding problem is very terrible, and as a community we have been doing our best, but we seriously need help to find a lasting solution to the issue. We have written several letters, but no response. We are even ready to sponsor the construction of the drainage, but we need approval from the Nigerian Gas Company. A lot of people have lost their cars to the flood here, while others have been selling their houses to relocate,” Jooda said.

He further noted that the community requires two drainages; one at the Gasline junction leading to Matogun road, and the second one on the other side leading to Olaogun. Both drainages, according to on-the-spot assessment, won’t be more than five meters in length, but will ameliorate the crisis by redirecting the flood ravaging the roads to the appropriate channels.

The community leaders noted that they’re seeking the consent of the Nigerian Gas Company to supervise the project because it is their technicians who can properly guide them on how to dig the drainage, in order not to cause any damage to the gas pipes under the ground.

“They’re the ones who know the positioning of their gas pipes, and we are mindful of that. That is why we are pleading with them to honour our request for this problem to be solved once and for all,” Jooda added.

According to Mr Bamiji Oludimu, an Electrical Engineer residing in the area, “we have been battling with this flood crisis since 27 years that I moved to this community. A few individuals have spent millions of naira from their hard earned money to fill the roads with sands, at least to make it a bit passable, but until we have those drainages at the Adiyan junction, all the efforts will continue to end in futility. In fact, the situation became worse this year, and that is why we are calling on the Nigerian Gas Company to please show mercy on us because it’s really frustrating.”

In his own submission, Mr Segun Olanrewaju said business activities in the area have continued to nosedive, no thanks to the flood issue. He added that “Taking a commercial bus from Agbado to this place now costs N1,000. Ordinarily, the fare is not supposed to be more than N300, but the bus operators said they have no choice, considering the damages the roads usually cause to their vehicles. People are really suffering here.”

Niger boat mishap: 70 bodies recovered —NIWA

Sadly, more bodies are being recovered from the Gbajibo River, Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, after a wooden boat carrying 300 passengers capsized, on Tuesday night.

At press time, the water marshalls of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, with the collaboration of the Nigeria state’s National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and local divers have recovered 70 bodies, rescued 150 persons while the search for the remaining missing passengers was still ongoing.

This came as President Bola Tinubu sent condolences to the Government and people of Niger State over the boat accident.

Meanwhile, Governor, Mohammed Bago has expressed sadness over the incident and vowed to redouble efforts to enforce laws in line with water transportation to avoid frequent waste of lives and property.

Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Mrs. Sarat Braimah, who spoke on the incident, accused the operators of the ill-fated boat of illegal operations as they sailed at 8:30p.m., which was against the water transportation code which has outlawed night sailing.

Braimah, who absolved NIWA of complicity in the tragic incident following a public outrage over what was described as the negligence of the authority, disclosed that the four water marshalls deployed to the Gbajibo River where the incident occurred had already closed from duty for the day and left.

She said that the Marshalls went to the other side of the jetty while the ill-fated boat was loading without their knowledge.

Meanwhile, NIWA has attributed the unfortunate incident to flagrant disregard for transportation code by the boat operators such as overloading (the wooden boat carried 300 passengers), use of sub-standard boat which is a wooden carved boat without necessary navigational aids, lack of wearing of safety vests and night sailing which has been banned.

Braimah said: “NIWA just constituted river marshalls, who were posted to every state and Niger State in particular has 24 water marshalls while in Mokwa LGA, where the incident happened, they have four Marshalls.”

She lamented the prevalence of night sailing in the North despite its ban which she said was a major challenge for NIWA.

“NIWA will now make it 24-hour surveillance on waterways in that area in order to prevent reoccurrence.”
According to her, the recently gazetted transportation code launched by NIWA and cascaded to every state contains penalties for infractions of safety standards.

“Last month, NIWA was everywhere on sensitization of the citizens on this code. But, unfortunately, this tragic incident happened.

From now on, night sailing is our target. We are going to recruit more river marshalls who will be working on 24- 24-hour basis. This will hopefully deter people and boat operators from night sailing” Mrs Braimah said.

Tinubu mourns victims

President Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commiserated with the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead.

The President also directed NIWA to investigate the spate of boat accidents in Niger State and across the country and devise modalities to check the trend.

He ordered NIWA to expand the scope of its surveillance of inland waters to ensure our people’s safety and prosecute boat operators violating the ban on night sailing.

President Tinubu thanked emergency workers and local divers who were working to find the remaining people.
Gov Bago talks tough on frequent mishaps, loss of life, property
Meanwhile, Governor Bago in a condolence statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim described the incident as unfortunate and disheartening.

Man who asked Tinubu to resign admitted in psychiatric hospital

The Adamawa State Police Command has disclosed that the 30-year-old Abdullahi Mohammed who climbed a 33 kv high tension electricity pole in Mayo-Belwa last Friday has been admitted at the Yola Psychiatric hospital for mental examination.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command SP Suleiman Nguroje, told Arewa PUNCH on Friday in an exclusive interview that Mohammed is undergoing psychiatric tests at a facility located inside the premises of the specialist hospital in Yola.

Nguroje explained, “When the police from the Moyo-Belwa division rescued Abdullahi Mohammed, from the 33kv high tension electricity pole, some hard drugs were discovered on him including green leaves which he confessed to be Indian hemp.”

He added, “The suspect further confessed during his interaction with the police that he takes Indian hemp and other hard drugs. He was behaving abnormal, so we had to take him to the psychiatric hospital for a detailed medical examination. We are still waiting for the medical result before we can take the next action.”

The Adamawa Police Command last Saturday night rescued and arrested Mohammed who had climbed a 33kv high tension electricity pole in Mayo-Belwa Local Government Headquarters insisting that President Bola Tinubu must resign before he would come down.

The spokesman of the command who ascribed the man’s action as suicidal had also revealed  that after the suspect was persuaded to come down from the high tension electricity pole that attempting sucide is a criminal offence under Nigerian laws.

Nguruje further told our correspondent that it is the constitutional duty of the police to protect lives and property and that when any individual wants to take his life, such would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Last Friday morning, being the market day of Mayo belwa, the young man climbed the 33kv high tension electricity pole along the Yola-Jalingo highway, insisting that he will not come down until the Nigerian President vacated the presidential villa.

 Investigations revealed that the Adamawa Police Police  Command had to engage the services of the locals in the area who finally convinced the man to come down on Saturday night.

Mohammed is from Gashaka town in Taraba State.

@Punchng