By joshua 
Edo Govt Raises Fresh Alert Over Flooding, Erosion, Urges Residents To Stop Blocking Drains
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
The Edo State Government has intensified its warning over the growing threats of flooding and erosion as the rainy season gathers momentum, urging residents to stop dumping refuse and non-degradable materials in drainage channels to avert environmental disasters across the state.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Kassim Afegbua, on Tuesday gave the warning while speaking with journalists in Benin City .
Afegbua added that, the state government was responding proactively to alerts issued by the Federal Government on climate change, flooding and erosion.
According to him, “The federal government has issued alert notice to all the sub-national governments concerning climate change, flooding and erosion. These are two dangerous, very endemic realities that we have to contend with, particularly when the rains are coming,” Afegbua stated.
He noted that the present administration had sustained and expanded environmental protection measures through strategic infrastructure projects designed to control flooding and channel rainwater safely away from residential communities.
According to him, many ongoing road projects in Benin City and other parts of the state now include side drains as part of deliberate flood-control measures.
“If you look at the roads we are constructing in Benin and elsewhere, there are side drains on both sides. That is to help to channel rainwater to the receptacle and to other places where it would not cause harm to inhabitants around those areas,” he stated.
Afegbua cited the ongoing construction around the Ramat Park flyover, saying a “huge underground drain” was being built to improve water flow and reduce flooding in the axis.
The commissioner, however, blamed indiscriminate waste disposal for worsening flooding in many communities, warning that blocked drains would continue to expose residents to avoidable environmental hazards.
He called on the Edo public to take environmental sanitation very seriously. They should dump refuse at designated areas and should not litter the streets with non-degradable objects, particularly on our drains. Adding that, When you dump things in the drains, you are likely going to block the free flow of water. When you block the way, it will rise above the drains and cause havoc in homes.”
Afegbua added that the state government had also commenced a fresh public alert campaign in line with the Federal Government’s advisory on anticipated flooding during the rainy season.
On governance and public sector reforms, the commissioner disclosed that the government had begun a quarterly performance appraisal of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and parastatals to evaluate delivery on the administration’s agenda.
He further revealed that most ministries and agencies had now been integrated into an e-governance platform designed to reduce paperwork and improve response time in government communication and approvals.
“It’s a seamless e-governance approach that deals less on paper, more on digital communication transactions with immediate feedback.
The commissioner also highlighted Edo State’s economic potential in agriculture and solid minerals, including limestone, gold and coal deposits, stressing that a functional and efficient governance system was essential to attracting investors.
He added that the government was sustaining infrastructural renewal across the three senatorial districts, while contractors handling projects were being paid promptly based on certified work completed.
Afegbua also announced that the state had taken delivery of 50 compressed natural gas (CNG) 52-seater buses, popularly called “Akpako buses,” to improve transportation across the state.
The buses will soon be released to members of the public to ease transportation concerns across the three senatorial districts,” he concluded.