The residents of Aseyori Community in Ureje area on the outskirts of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State have called on Governor Kayode Fayemi to dredge Ureje River before heavy downpour begins.
Recently, the fish farm and some households in Aseyori community were affected by heavy flood from Ureje Reservoir and River, which is located about few kilometers upstream of Aseyori community as a result of poor dredging of Ureje River and the poor channelisation of water.
Ureje River is a first major river in the state follows by Elemi River, particularly in Ado-Ekiti where all other drainage systems in the state capital flow into. The dam in Ureje is not deep enough to contain all the water that usually flood into it during heavy downpour such as the one of the night of September 11, 2022.
The heavy downpour caused Ureje Dam to overflow its banks which flooded Aseyori and surrounding communities. The flood destroyed many properties and displaced many residents of the affected area.
According to Dr. Ebenezer Temitope Adebayo, who is an expert in Hydrobiology and Fisheries with specialization in
the study of Water, Fishes and Eco-Toxicology, claimed to lose about N20 million naira of his investment in fish farming business to the flood that ravaged the community on September 11, 2022.
He appealed to the administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi to act promptly in order to safeguard lives and properties, ensuring food security, encourage investors as well as securing the biodiversities within and around the river channel.
In his words, “We are appealing to our amiable Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi to intervene for over ten thousand inhabitants of Aseyori and it’s environs in their plight, as we do not pray to experience the 1980 Ogunpa flood disaster of Ibadan or the recent flood in Pakistan”