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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 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 made the comments in Itapaji Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area on Monday, while inspecting some buildings that were destroyed by a storm 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, Monisade Afuye, regretted the alarming rate of building destruction in recent times.
To arrest such sordid scenarios, the governor said there was an expediency of landlords ensuring 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.
“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 from losing our buildings to rainstorms”, Oyebanji stated.
The Governor personally visited the home of a 120-year-old victim, Chief Ajayi Fabunmi to sympathise with her over the wreckage of her building.
Conducting the governor and other officials around the wreckage, the Olu of Itapaji, Oba Abdulazees 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.
“The last time we had an electricity supply here in Itapaji was 2008. This has affected our local economy. Some of those who were into private businesses had either folded up or left the town. We need help in this regard”, the monarch said.
