LAGOS, OGUN ISSUES WARNING AS OYAN DAM WATER IS SET TO BE RELEASED

By Olayiwola Ibrahim // Governments of Lagos and Ogun have issued urgent flood warnings to residents in flood prone areas as the Oyan Dam prepares to release excess water.

The Governments adviced that residents living near riverbanks to temporarily relocate or brace for potential flooding.

This planned release, an annual measure by the Ogun and Oshun River Basin Development Authority OORBDA, is intended to manage dam levels during the rainy season.

Recall that last year, communities such as Isheri Riverview Estate and Warewa in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area experienced severe flooding due to water surges from a similar dam release.

Both states have cautioned those living in low lying areas to take precautions, warning that the release could cause rivers to overflow, potentially leading to devastating floods.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, emphasized the collaboration between the two states to mitigate flood risks.

He urged residents of vulnerable areas, such as Ajilete and Owode-Onirin, to evacuate.

We have done the advocacy, and we are asking residents in low lying areas to leave.

The consequences could be severe if they don’t relocate, Wahab stated.

Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, noted that the water volume release would increase to create more space in the dam’s reservoir.

However, the OORBDA management has assured residents that the situation is under control.

Saliu Adeniyi, Head of Public Relations at OORBDA, ruled out the possibility of a dam failure, stressing that routine maintenance is being carried out.

Adeniyi said that there is no cause for alarm, stating that we are continuously monitoring the dam, and the water release will not be significant enough to cause downstream flooding.