Viewpoint —
Residents of Ise-Ekiti and Orun-Ekiti in Ise-Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti State had a day that will remain long in their memories as they witnessed heavy rain that ripped off roofs of buildings in the area, pulled down houses and destroyed several properties, leaving many homeless.
The rain, which lasted about 30 minutes, affected scores of residential houses, including bungalows and storey buildings, schools, churches, mosques, shops, kiosks and viewing centres, among others.
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Aloba Bamidele Tunbosun told the Nigerian Daily Sun that his car and football viewing centre hall were completely destroyed. “I returned home around 5pm and parked my car in my compound. It was not up to five minutes after I entered my house that the rain started and destroyed the front and back wind screens of the car, a Toyota Camry saloon, he said.
“It pulled down the big hall I use for viewing centre. It also destroyed the roof of my house. The rain lasted for about 30 minutes but, barely five minutes into the rain, there was a heavy storm. The storm came in three stages, resulting in all this havoc you are seeing.
“The storm carried the whole roof of my viewing centre, placed it on my car, destroying the front and rear screens and completely pulled the walls of the viewing centre to the ground. It later lifted the roof and rafters from the top of my car and placed it on the roof of the back of my house, where I stay, also destroying the roof of the building.
“The things that were destroyed inside the viewing centre included my two plasma television sets, measuring 55 inches each, six ceiling fans, benches, electrical fittings, DSTV decoders, burglary proofs, doors and some other things.
“Inside the viewing centre, I also had a betting section. All the materials I use in that section were destroyed, including big HP printers, two laptops, two desktops, six monitors, amplifiers and some other things. I appeal to Ekiti State government and Governor John Kayode Fayemi to, please, assist me”.
A local Vicar in charge of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Rev. Ayeni B.O said his church was completely destroyed.
“The rain was accompanied by a very heavy storm, which destroyed the entire church building by removing the roofs, destroying the rafters and roofing sheets and pulling down the walls and, as you can see, so many things in the church have been damaged, like the sound system, fans, electrical fittings, plastic chairs, doors and windows and other things, he said.
“This is the second rain in the year and it destroyed our church. Thank God there was no casualty because, at the time the rain started, we were supposed to be in the church for a programme that was to start at 5pm. I didn’t know what delayed me and my family members that we were not in church at that time.
“Today’s Sunday service was done inside the vicarage at the back of the church, and the storm affected the vicarage too but we managed the sitting room to do the service. I am appealing to the state government and well meaning individuals to help us to build a new church because a new foundation will be laid because everything collapsed.”
Hon. Ayeni Samuel, a local councilor in the area appealed to the state Governor, Kayode Fayemi to come to the aid of these victims.
Chairman, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Capt. Sunday Adebomi (rtd), said members of his team and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)were immediately deployed to the area detailed assessment of the mishap.