The Ekimogun Roundtable, a socioeconomic organisation of Ondo natives, has petitioned the federal government and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the governor of Ondo State, to take action against the catastrophic flooding that has been destroying buildings and taking lives in Ondo town.

According to the group, the town’s flooding has reached emergency proportions, resulting in the loss of life and valuable property annually, and leaving those who survive in continual fear.

The group urged the state government and pertinent federal government agencies, such as the National Emergency Management Agency and the Ecological Fund Office, to promptly assess the situation and offer a long-term solution in a statement released on Saturday and signed by its acting secretary, Christiana Ayodele.

“The flooding is currently engulfing the entire Ondo City, having started around Ife Road, Saluwa, Sabo, New Town, Itanla, Oke Odunwo, and Orimolade areas of the town,” the message stated. It is a crisis that puts our lives in peril, ruins education, threatens livelihoods, and leaves a permanent impact on our people and the community. It is no longer merely a seasonal problem.

We think that if there is political will and concerted efforts, this problem can be remedied before additional lives are lost.

We have tried our hardest as a people and a community to resolve this issue, but we are now at our breaking point. We are prepared to work with all tiers of government authorities to create a thorough plan for managing flooding and safeguard our neighbourhood from future damage.

For the benefit of our future, businesses, and families, we urge action.