By Mariam Onaolapo
Anxiety is mounting in Akorede community behind Police ‘F’ Division, Tanke Area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital over a threatening gully arising from flood waters.
It was observed that the adverse effects of the gully had manifested in some residential buildings with cracks on the walls and foundation level.
Similarly, erosion has almost chopped off the only access road serving the community due to the ongoing construction of an overhead bridge at Tipper-Garage, Tanke Area, thus posing danger to the community and people plying the road.
Our correspondent’s visit to the area revealed the extent of damage the erosion has caused to the area and capable of rendering many residents homeless if not attended to before the next raining season.
Speaking to the highPROFILE crew on the development, Dr Yusuf Abubakar, a owner of one of the affected houses, appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to, as a matter of urgency, come to their aid to save their lives and property.
Abubakar added that erosion control and management is one of the ways the government can protect the lives and property of the community and pleaded with the government to construct drainages and fix their road to avert looming disaster in the community.
Narrating his experience and frantic efforts made in the community to curb the damage arising from the erosion, Abubakar explained that the thought of rain is a nightmare for members of the community, saying “when it rains, houses, roads and other valuables will be overwhelmed with water. Some residents will have to vacate their houses because of the damage the flood could cause to their lives and property”.
He added, “There is no peace of mind in the community during the raining season. Sadly, there are some set of houses that the erosion had done so much harm to. The gully has creeped totally to the residential apartments, forcing them to enter their apartments through back yards”.
According to him, “When we moved into my house about three years ago, the gully was not as much as it is now”. Abubakar recalled that the spaces that the gully had eaten up now used to be pathways for both cars and pedestrians, adding that the erosion had totally washed away the pathways.
Abubakar noted that he spent huge amount of money to make concrete walls and drainage to save his building while the erosion has not ceased creeping in.
“I often feel heartbroken whenever I come outside and see the gully. I always avoid to look at it because its an eyesore”, he said.
Abubakar also predicted that most of the residents in Akorede community will be homeless in the next few years because erosion would have washed away their houses if no intervention was made.
Also speaking on the effort of community members, another landlord whose residential building had been severely affected as a result of the ugly situation, Mr Fashola David, said he used concrete to build water channel in front of his house to divert drain that would have snaked into his house.
David added that the community had unanimously written several letters to the Governor and some relevant government offices to no avail.
In his comment, another resident, Mr Yisau Babatunde described the situation as worrisome and pathetic and called on relevant government agencies to come to their aid before the situation gets out of hand.
END.
