The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has appealed to residents of the state to embrace tree planting around residential buildings to prevent the alarming rate of destruction of buildings by rainstorms.
Oyebanji said recurrent decimal of building wreckage being witnessed in some communities could have been averted if residents embraced tree planting that could break destructive wind during torrential downpours.
The Governor said this in Itapaji Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area on Tuesday, while inspecting some buildings that were destroyed by tornado in the town last weekend.
During the destructive rainfall, no fewer than 10 buildings, including a public institution, were blown off, with over 50 rendered homeless.
During the on-the-spot appraisal of the level of havoc wreaked in the town, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, regretted the alarming rate of destruction of buildings by rainstorm in Ekiti in recent times.
To arrest such sordid scenarios, the governor, said there was expediency for landlords to ensure adequate maintenance of their structures to either forestall or reduce such devastating occurrences.
Sympathising with the victims, Oyebanji pledged the support of the State Government for those who had been rendered homeless as a result of the highly distraught rainstorm incidence.
According to him, ” This is one occurrence that was heart-rending, very devastating. I have never seen any rainstorm of this extent. Not long ago, we went to inspect some buildings that were destroyed at Ijelu and Omu Ekiti in Oye Local Government. The reoccurrence of this kind of incidence was becoming worrisome to us as a government.
“We thank God that nobody died, but losing property under this avoidable situation is painful. We want our people to embrace tree planting around their houses. Trees are windbreakers that can help us protect our structures against damage.
“Besides tree planting, we should endeavour to carry out regular turnaround maintenance on our buildings. This is very essential to prevent us losing our buildings to rainstorm.”
Conducting the governor and other officials around the wreckage, the Olu of Itapaji, Oba Abdulazeez Adebanjo, applauded the state governor for showing compassion to the victims, particularly the expeditious way with which he visited the community.
Oba Adebanjo, represented by Oluketu of Itapaji, Chief Olaoye Olusesan, pleaded with the government to speedily grant the requests of the victims and give support that could bail them out of their current precarious situation.
Speaking about other facilities that could add modernity to the agrarian community, the monarch appealed to the government to restore electricity to the community that had been in perpetual darkness for about 20 years.
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