About 13 communities in Ondo State were ravaged by flood following a heavy rainfall last Friday.
The Senate on, Tuesday directed the Federal Ministry of Power to restore electricity supply to about 13 communities ravaged by flood in Ondo State.
It also called on the Ondo State Government to, as a matter of urgency, find a lasting solution to the issue of flooding in the state.
The resolutions were a sequel to a motion sponsored by Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central) during the plenary.
Mr Adegbonmire, while presenting his motion, said over 7,000 people have been displaced after a heavy rain in his senatorial district last Friday.
He said, aside from the homeless victims, about 1,000 homes, 25 schools and 20 worship centres were submerged.
“With deepest sadness that no fewer than 1,000 homes, 25 schools; 20 worship centres and over 7,000 people were affected and rendered homeless following the heavy downpour of Friday, 4th October, 2024, which lasted for several hours; displaced thousands and caused significant damage across multiple communities in the ancient city of Ondo in Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ondo State.
“The flood affected Itanla, Oka, Odojomu, Oke-Odunwo, Bethlehem, Olorunishola, Fagun Area, Jilalu Area, New town Gani Street, Yaba Police Station, Ademulegun Road, Akure-Ondo Expressway, Ife Road communities among others, all in Ondo, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State,” he said.
The senator said he was sad about the incident because it mostly affected the vulnerable, including children and the elderly.
Mr Adegbonmire stressed that the incident has inflicted hardship on the victims.
“Saddened by the impact of the natural disaster on the lives of the affected communities, especially the most vulnerable, including women, children and the elderly. Some children were declared missing, property worth millions of naira were destroyed, and residents of the affected communities now find themselves homeless because of the flood disaster as their houses and vehicles in the affected streets were submerged.
“This pathetic situation has inflicted untold hardship on residents of these areas, particularly children, the elderly, shop owners and small-scale business owners,” he said.
The senator urged the upper chamber to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the victims.
He also asked the federal government to develop plans to address issues of natural disasters.
Debate
Majority of the senators who contributed to the motion supported it.
Kaka Lawan, the senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, who seconded the motion, sympathised with people of Ondo State over the incident.
“Having experienced devastation in the last couple of weeks, I know how frustrated it is and the people it adversely affected,” he said.
Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) also sympathised with the people and urged his colleagues to mandate relevant agencies to provide aid to the victims.
Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the relief fund.
Mr Monguno, the Senate chief whip, noted that the relief fund would ameliorate the sufferings of the victims.
After the debate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the motion to a vote and majority of the lawmakers supported it.
