Soil creep disaster: Govt urges residents to stay 300m away from disaster site

 Ekiti State Government has advised residents around Oke Agboona in Okemesi Ekiti to stay at least 300 metres away from the hill as the likelihood of a recurrence of a natural phenomenon known as "Soil Creep" in the area is high. That’s when rock and soil slowly go down a low-grade slope. Deputy Governor, Prof. […]

 Ekiti State Government has advised residents around Oke Agboona in Okemesi Ekiti to stay at least 300 metres away from the hill as the likelihood of a recurrence of a natural phenomenon known as "Soil Creep" in the area is high.

That’s when rock and soil slowly go down a low-grade slope.

Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola who led a delegation sent by the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose to have an on-the-spot assessment of the havoc wrecked by the creep last Thursday, gave the warning on Saturday.

The deputy governor trekked with residents to the base of the Agboona Hill.

Property worth millions of naira was swept away by the creep in the early hours of Thursday, after three days of downpour in Okemesi town, in Ekiti West local government. 

Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who congratulated the Owa Ooye of Okemesi Ekiti, Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji and the entire people of Okemesi that no life was lost as a result of the disaster, promised that the government would hold a meeting with the Kabiyesi and stakeholders in Okemesi Ekiti on how to minimise the effect in future.

"Experts have said there is likelihood of a re-ocurrence, though it’s painful that properties were lost and relocating is not expected to be easy, we need to adhere to their advice that we stay 300 metres away from the hill. Far beyond rituals and sacrifice, we have to harken to professional advice, obedience is better than sacrifice", Olusola said.

The delegation later visited the Owa Ooye of Okemesi Ekiti,", Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji in his palace where the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola delivered the governor’s message.

"We have observed that there is a need for extensive drainage to allow water gushing out of the rock have a passage in a way that will not do any damage to the community at large. We are trusting God that despite paucity of fund, something will be done,” he added.

The Owa Ooye who noted that people were already alluding spirituality to the creep begged the governor to help expand the base of the Hill (Eleyinmi).

"What happened on Thursday once happened in 1973 but nothing was done by the government then, the creep also occurred in recent times but not of this magnitude, I plead with your excellency to help us expand the mountain base (Eleyinmi).

"If the base is expanded and a channel is created, a channel is there already but needed to be expanded, once it is expanded, whenever a creep occurs, the water and debris will have a place to move to. As it is now, God forbid, if it happens before the expansion, it is most likely to be disastrous", Kabiyesi said.