THE Delta State Government has vowed to step on toes of anybody in the bid to deflood the oil city of Warri and other flood-prone areas of the state.
Speaking to newsmen in Warri while monitoring the last sanitation exercise at the weekend, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan held that; ”We will step on toes of anybody in our desire to de-flood Warri and other parts of the state; we must get it right this time around hence we are ready to step on toes of anybody obstructing the free flow of water in our cities and towns.”
According to the Governor; ”If you have built on natural water channels, we will come after you and pull down your structure I have directed the State Commissioner for Environment, who is going around with me in the monitoring of the sanitation exercise to bring down all structures blocking easy flow of water and nobody can intimidate us. I am happy with the way the Environment Commissioner is going about the directive I gave him. Whatever that we are doing is for the good of our people and there is no stopping us.”
Addressing the residents of Otirikpen Street off Odion Street in the McDermott Road area of Warri, Governor Uduaghan told them that; “Most of the flooding that we have in this environment is man-made. People just open their eyes and build structures on natural water ways. Others dump their refuse right on the drainage. Of course water will always find a way to go through and that is what has been happening. And it has no way to pass that is why the whole place is getting flooded”.
“The whole of this area used to be flooded up to the knee and at times hip level before this place was opened up recently by the Ministry of Environment. But with the opening of the place you now find out that water is now flowing freely toward the channels. I am very happy that we have been able to achieve this. It is a very big achievement because for those of you who live in Warri you know the kind of havoc that flood has been causing , but now they are quite happy”, he added.
He said; “Both the person that approved such building and the person who built in such a place are criminals and I am going to trace all involved and bring them to book. The fact that you got an approval illegally does not mean that you are right even if its somebody in the government. I am not going to pay compensation to anybody. You built a house on top of the river and you are asking for compensation? I am not going to pay any compensation.”
According to the Governor, “What we are going to do is that we are going to put an embankment on both side from the beginning to the end. And of course if there is an embankment the siltation is very much reduced and it is just to ensure that the channel is cleared regularly. The message to Deltans is that once we see any building that is illegal we will destroy it no matter who the owner is. Even if the person is me, I will order them to destroy it. No matter how close you are to me and all that because it is not about me, it is about the people. This exercise is going to continue as long as this government is in place.”
A resident of the area, Mr. Johnson Uhrorho commended the State Government for the enormous work done in the area saying it has help to check the flooding.
He said “We are grateful to your government for opening up the blocked canal; we have been suffering over the years.”