Expert Calls for New Law to Stop Yearly Flooding in Ekiti

(A water resources management expert, Michael Ale. Photo credit: Abiodun Nejo)

A water resources management expert, Michael Ale, has called for a stronger institutional framework, including an urban planning enforcement law, to stop the repeated flooding in Ekiti State.

Ale, who is the Coordinator of the Global Development Initiative, said the flooding keeps happening because the state has no strong institutions that can enforce rules and punish offenders.

He asked the Ekiti State House of Assembly to pass a Flood Resilience and Urban Planning Enforcement Law.

His call came after floods hit parts of the state last week, especially Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

The floods led to loss of lives and property and disrupted daily activities.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, Ale said the flooding is predictable because NIMET warns about it and the causes are well known.

These include building on waterways, blocked drains, no dredging before the rainy season and refuse in canals.

He said it keeps happening every year because nobody faces consequences.

He also asked for a waste management body with power to punish people who dump refuse in drains, and an emergency management body with a working early warning system.

Ale noted that Ekiti has a 30-year Development Plan that lists flood control, sustainable urbanisation and environmental resilience as key pillars, but asked where the monitoring and evaluation is.

He said the state should follow the plan so that development does not block the channels that protect people from floods.

According to him, the proposed law should make yearly dredging of the Ureje and Elemi rivers compulsory before March, set up 50-metre no-build zones, and make it a crime to build without drainage clearance.

He also suggested a committee of experts to tackle the problem fully, as was done in Ibadan.

He advised the state to learn from Oyo State, which asked the World Bank for help after severe flooding and got support to fix the problem. He said Ekiti can do the same.

Ale also urged residents not to try to cross or walk through floodwaters during heavy rain, and to wait for the water to go down to avoid drowning and other dangers.