Re-Designing Benin City Drainage System

ONE of the policy thrusts of the Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor-led administration in Edo State, is infrastructural development, rooted in the beautification of the capital city and rehabilitation and construction of roads in the three senatorial districts of the state.

TRUE to his promise to take Edo State to the next level of excellence, the governor inaugurated several committees. One of such was the Committee on the Beautification of Benin City. Alongside the Committee is that on “Operation Clean Up Edo State” which has been doing its best to turn the city and indeed the entire state around in terms of beautification and cleanliness.

JUST as the Osunbor’s administration commenced the process of beautification in the state, it also embarked on massive road rehabilitation and construction across the three senatorial districts of the state.

THESE efforts have continued to transform the state capital, as most roads that were impassible before the present administration came on board on May 29, 2007 are now wearing new looks.

UNFORTUNATELY, the beauty of some of these roads is beginning to wear off, as a result of flooding occasioned by the rains.

IN other to check this menace of flooding, government had embarked on enlightenment campaign on the need for residents to periodically desilt the drains in front of their houses or shops, while the government on its own embarked on massive desilting and clearing of drains. This exercise has been going on non-stop since this administration took office.

IN a further effort to check the menace of flooding, the state government embarked on the dredging of the Ikpoba River to enable it receive more flood water from some parts of the city into the River.

WHILE The NIGERIAN OBSERVER commends the state government for this initiative, the recent pronouncement by the government that it intended to redesign the drainage system along Sokponba Road, by the Edo Development and Property Authority (EDPA), is even more reassuring.

THE government, through the Commissioner for Transport and Environment, Mrs. Sera Adetugboboh, while monitoring the environmental sanitation exercise held in August, told newsmen that the redesigning would enhance the drainage capacity to channel flood water into the Benin moat.

ACCORDING to her, plans are on to reconstruct the drainage system to enable it cope with the high level of flood in the area whenever it rained. The reconstruction she said, would be carried out as soon as the feasibility study was completed.

IMPLIEDLY, the process of redesigning has commenced and there is no gainsaying the fact that flooding which has become a perennial phenomenon in the state capital whenever it rained, needs urgent and critical solution to save the inhabitants who experience this yearly ritual of flooding, from the agony of having to relocate from their places of original abode.

APART from this yearly ritual, the loss suffered by such inhabitants is unquantifiable.

REDESIGNING the drainage system, is therefore a welcome development which we believe will bring succour to those living in flood prone areas.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER is also aware too that Governor Osunbor is not limiting the redesigning of the drainage system to Sakponba Road alone but to other critically affected areas in the city. In doing this, there is the need for a general redesigning of the city whose present state has been brought about by indiscriminate erection of buildings without approved building plans.

THERE is no doubt that this has largely contributed to flooding as a result of blockage of water ways.
WHILE we urge the state government to expedite action on its plans now that the rains are gradually subsiding, the project will come to naught if the political will is lacking, as the redesigning will involve pulling down structures that are either not approved or are standing as impediments to the free flow of flood water through its natural course to the moats and rivers.

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