Flood overtake Okeafa, Magboro communities in Ogun state… residents cry out for government assistance

Residents of Okeafa, Magboro and it’s environs woke up on Thursday morning to discover that their major gateway roads have been overtaken by floods.

This was majorly caused by about 10 hours torrential rain that started around 9pm on Wednesday and did not stop till the morning of Thursday.

Worst hit is the averagely populated Okeafa which the only major road serving Kojola, Olowofela, Ilupeju etc was badly flooded that most residents could not move or assess their residences.

Also badly affected was Redstar Estate and Sparlight estate, an elite and upward mobile sprawling estate along Lagos-ibadan expressway.

Residents that tried to manouver the flood overtaken road had their vehicles trapped in the above waist level deep water and subsequently damaged their vehicles.

A Journalist in the neighbourhood who managed to drive out in the morning of Thursday was not lucky while coming back as his car got stuck in the flood. It had to be pushed out and it’s severely damaged.

Most residents were seen braving the odds to go out to fend for themselves had no alternative than to plunge themselves inside the water to go out and come in.

Since Thursday most school children have not gone to school as a result of the flood over taking the road. Some school owners sent out circulars and notices that due to the flood school buses will not be operating until water recedes.

A notice sent out by one of the proprietors of a private school in Ilupeju area of Okeafa, Mr Akinlere of Potterville Private school informed parents and guardian that his school buses will not be operational until the water level goes down.

At the Okeafa end a big lorry was sighted on Thursday night carrying residents returning to their houses in what the residents derisively labelled ‘Palliative Bus’.

Also canoe services was also introduced with the operators charging moderate fares to take residents in and out of the community. Though very risky as one woman recounted how some passengers nearly fell inside the water as the canoe avoided capsizing.

Flood overtaking roads and sacking residents have become a reoccurring decimal annually for residents of Okeafa, Magboro and adjoining communities. The major waterways are usually blocked making free flow of water difficult.

Residents on their own over these years task themselves to hire tractors and swam boggie to help dredge and open the waterways for free flow of water. But in the last one year that has not been done.

The swamp buggie promised by Ogun state government to help do the job is yet to come as at the time of filing in this report.