Residents Groan As Rainstorm Wreak Havoc In Ondo

By Ayodele Oni

The wet season with its destructive tendencies has started with several landlords in Ondo state forfeiting their properties to rainstorm.

Residents in some parts of Akure, the State capital, are looking up to the Ondo State Government, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assist them to cushion the effect of the devastating damages caused by heavy rainstorm at the weekend.

According to the residents, the rain, accompanied by windstorm, was without warning and  blew off roof tops, destroying anything on its paths

Speaking to newsmen on the incident, Princess Olamide Ajijo, whose husband’s car parked within the compound, was destroyed by the storm which removed and blew the roof top of a nearby building, described the situation as very pathetic.

According to her, “My husband just left the house for a meeting with landowners at Obaile to resolve issues surrounding the land we are erecting our property when the storm wrecked its havoc.

“In fact my husband had planned to go to the meeting with the car, but couldn’t due to the lingering fuel scarcity.”

Speaking further on her experience, Princess Ajijo explained that everything happened in a jiffy.

“The storm came suddenly and I was trying to save my children from danger as the whole building was vibrating, there was nothing I could do to move the car to safety only to come out when the storm subsided and found our only car in ruins.”

Princess Ajijo, who appealed to the Ondo State Government and NEMA to urgently come to their aid stated that the storm blown off the roof top of another house within the compound and greatly damaged the car as both the front and back glass screen and the widow glass on the top of the car were totally destroyed apart from the body.

“My husband is a civil servant and you all know how things are in ondo state now and I am a full time house wife and jobless, even though a Master degree holder in accountancy.

“That car is the only one the family has that we are using especially to take the children to and from  school that has been destroyed by this natural disaster.

“We really need help hence my appeal to our Talk and Do Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN to come our aid in order to put our only car back on the road as quickly as possible because the hardship will be unbearable.”

Another victim, identified as Mama Victor, who owns a patient medicine store for many years at the street, had the roof top of the shop blown off and rain destroyed most of her drugs.

According to her, the medicine store has been the family only source of livelihood for more than ten years since her husband lost her job.

She called on the authorities to see what they can do to rescue them from this disaster.

The victims appealed to the both the Federal and the State Governments and other public spirited persons and  institutions especially NEMA and SEMA to urgently come to their assistance.