To avert flooding and fire incidents, the Oyo State government has approved N690 million to address the menace this year.
The state’s commissioner for information and orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who disclosed this on Wednesday, added that eleven rivers have been dredged, and the airport and Circular Road have been upgraded.
He said the government had taken proactive measures to address flooding during the rainy season.
According to him, the environment ministry has been given the go-ahead to procure more compactor trucks to enhance refuse collection in the municipality.
He said that auxiliary and special equipment were being provided for the state’s fire service agency to combat fire incidents.
Oyelade, who stated that these were some of the resolutions at yesterday’s executive council meeting, recalled that the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), in their reports, predicted that several states, including Oyo, would experience flooding this year.
“To protect lives and property, the council approved immediate dredging of 11 flood-prone rivers across the state, including Iseyin, Oyo, Ibadan, Igbo Ora, and Ogbomoso, among others”, the commissioner said.
He recalled the fire incidents in some markets across the state, the latest of which was the Aleshinloye market, Ibadan, saying, “To this end, the Council approved the procurement of fire-fighting auxiliary and special equipment for the Oyo State Fire Service Agency, to enhance fire-fighting, rescue operations and protect firemen from occupational hazards.”
The commissioner explained that approval was also sought and given to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to procure compactor trucks to improve the efficiency of refuse collection.
