Kwara Governor visits, directs immediate fix of Olunlade flooding crisis

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has visited Olunlade/Idiogede communities, where he assured residents that his administration would immediately fix the flooding problem in the area.
Abdulrazaq’s visit followed a protest on Thursday in the communities, where residents complained of perennial flooding that they said had damaged properties in the areas.
The flooding, according to the community leaders, was as a result of the drainage the Federal Government had long constructed to divert water from an ongoing road project.
The Governor said immediate action would be taken to address the problem.
“I have directed the relevant ministries to prepare a memo stating the problems and the solution. I assure you we will fix the problem almost immediately,” he told members of the communities.
Magaji Idiogede Saliu AbdulKareem hailed the Governor for visiting the communities to see things for himself.
“We’ve never had such a prompt response like this. We have been on this for years. We are pleasantly surprised that you are here just hours after our protest today. We are very grateful,” AbdulKareem said.
Yetunde Ibrahim, a community leader who took part in the earlier protest, commended AbdulRazaq for acting fast to address the community on the challenge.
Ibrahim said: “We appeal to you to please come our aid.
“On behalf of the people of this community, we say thank you.
“We pray the solution you have directed will be very soon.
“But I must say this is the first time that any Governor will come here.
“You will succeed in your efforts to develop this state.”
That came a day after the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril, led a delegation to Mokwa General Hospital in Niger State to greet the victims of a Tuesday auto crash involving eight prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps and their driver.
They were travelling to Taraba State to observe their mandatory one year national service.
Jibril told newsmen in Mokwa late on Wednesday that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq directed him to lead a government delegation to the scene of the accident to ascertain the condition of the corp members and evacuate them to Ilorin General for proper medical attention.
The nine-passenger Sienna bus conveying the corp members tumbled several times on the Mokwa road after its rear tyre got burst.
Two of the corps members and the driver of the vehicle died on the spot.
In a statement late on Tuesday, AbdulRazaq called the development “one tragedy too many” and commiserated with the families of the deceased.
“Our visit to Mokwa followed a directive by the Governor that we should come to check the status of the students who are indigenes of Kwara State and to also transfer them to the Ilorin General Hospital. The government will also join the families of the deceased in the burial while we provide adequate medical care to those injured,” Saba said.
Reiterating government’s disapproval of night travels, he urged drivers and all road users to avoid excessive speed and needless overtaking of other vehicles.
The NYSC, meanwhile, has lauded AbdulRasaq for the immediate transfer of the survivors of Mokwa auto crash back to the state as part of measures to provide them with adequate medical care.
The NYSC Zonal Inspector, Mokwa, Ahmed Yusuf, said AbdulRasaq’s action which came few hours after the incident was exceptionally good and commendable.