FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN
The Edo State Government has intensified its warning over the growing threat of flooding and erosion as the rainy season gathers momentum, urging residents to stop dumping refuse and non-degradable materials in drainage channels to avert environmental disasters across the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Kassim Afegbua, gave the warning on Tuesday while speaking with journalists in Benin City.
Afegbua stated that the state government was responding proactively to alerts issued by the Federal Government on climate change, flooding and erosion.
According to him, “The Federal Government has issued an alert to all sub-national governments concerning climate change, flooding and erosion. These are dangerous and endemic realities that we have to contend with, particularly during the rainy season.”
He noted that the present administration had sustained and expanded environmental protection measures through strategic infrastructure projects designed to control flooding and channel rainwater safely away from residential communities.
According to him, many ongoing road projects in Benin City and other parts of the state now include side drains as part of deliberate flood-control measures.
“If you look at the roads we are constructing in Benin and elsewhere, there are side drains on both sides. That is to help channel rainwater to receptacles and other places where it will not cause harm to residents in those areas,” he stated.
Afegbua cited the ongoing construction around the Ramat Park flyover, saying a “huge underground drain” was being built to improve water flow and reduce flooding in the area.
The commissioner, however, blamed indiscriminate waste disposal for worsening flooding in many communities, warning that blocked drains would continue to expose residents to avoidable environmental hazards.
He called on residents of the state to take environmental sanitation seriously by disposing of refuse only at designated locations and refraining from dumping non-degradable materials into drains.
“When you dump waste in drains, you are likely to block the free flow of water. Once the drains are blocked, water will overflow and cause havoc in homes,” he said.
Afegbua added that the state government had also commenced a fresh public awareness campaign in line with the Federal Government’s advisory on anticipated flooding during the rainy season.
On governance and public sector reforms, the commissioner disclosed that the government had begun quarterly performance appraisals of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, as well as parastatals, to evaluate delivery on the administration’s agenda.
He further revealed that most ministries and agencies had now been integrated into an e-governance platform designed to reduce paperwork and improve response time in government communication and approvals.
“It is a seamless e-governance approach that relies less on paper and more on digital communication and transactions with immediate feedback,” he said.
The commissioner also highlighted Edo State’s economic potential in agriculture and solid minerals, including limestone, gold and coal deposits, stressing that a functional and efficient governance system was essential for attracting investors.
He added that the government was sustaining infrastructural renewal across the three senatorial districts, while contractors handling projects were being paid promptly based on certified work completed.
Afegbua also announced that the state had taken delivery of 50 compressed natural gas (CNG) 52-seater buses, popularly known as “Akpako buses”, to improve transportation across the state.
“The buses will soon be released for public use to ease transportation challenges across the three senatorial districts,” he concluded.
