Rainstorm Wreaks Havoc On Osogbo

A devastating rainstorm that wreaked enormous havoc in Osogbo on Saturday evening has thrown the Osun State capital into darkness.

LEADERSHIP checks showed that the storm blew off the roofs of many buildings, including public institutions, and brought down banners, signposts, and electric poles, as well as destroying vehicles and mobile shops, among others.

Among the most affected areas were the Isale-Osun axis, Jaleyemi area, Ogo Oluwa area, Dada Estate area, Government House axis, Alekuwodo axis, Okefia area, and Aregbe axis, where a truck driver was trapped for hours after a billboard shattered the vehicle and more.

Among the structures affected were the CAC building in Oke Ibukun, Osogbo, Osun State Technical College, Osogbo Grammar School, private schools on the Alekuwodo axis, and the Osun NUJ secretariat, where vehicles were shattered, among others.

The devastating storm affected church attendance, while carpenters had a full day repairing roofs. Also, sympathisers were seen helping victims of the storm.

Meanwhile, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has sympathised with the residents of Osogbo and its environs over the devastating havoc wreaked by the rainstorm.

The governor, in a press statement issued by his Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, describes the incidents as sad, ugly and unfortunate.

“I must say that I feel deeply tormented and alarmed by the incident, and my administration will, no doubt, put in place everything morally and officially possible through Osun State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA) with a view to offsetting the attendant losses incurred by the victims in Osogbo and other communities affected by such unfortunate developments”

While blaming climate change for the increasing number of natural disasters, the governor said the negative effects of the phenomenon account for his government’s concerted policy actions to address them.

He urged residents to prioritise actions that can mitigate the impact of natural disasters, such as tree planting, and advised against indiscriminate tree felling.