IBADAN FLOOD: FEAR GRIPS VICTIMS OVER POSSIBLE EVICTION FROM CAMPS

Fear and anxiety have gripped victims of Friday, August 26 flood disaster in Ibadan in their camps in the metropolis, as they face possible eviction in the next few days.

The state government had opened camps at Sacred Heart Primary School , Odo-Ona, in the Ibadan South-west Local Government Area and Abbey Technical College in, Oluyole Local Government Area, two of the worse hit councils for the victims of the disaster. Since they were opened on Sunday, August 2011, the camps have continued to be flooded by displaced victims by the day.

When Daily Sun visited Sacred Heart Primary School at the weekend, many of the victims expressed serious concern over what would be their fate if 'forcefully' evicted from the camp.

It was gathered that the Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan South-west Local Government, Mr Taoheed Adeleke had in one of his visits to the camp alerted the victims to their possible eviction, to allow the pupils of the school have access to their classrooms when public schools in the state resume for the new academic session.

Schools in the state are schduled to resume next week. He was, however said to have been silent on arrangement being made for the victims if they were eventually asked to go. Mrs Modinat Raji, one of the victims at Sacred Heart Primary camp told Daily Sun that having lost all her property to the flood and the house where herself and her husband were living had collapsed, she was now confused as to where to go, if eventually evicted .

She said: 'We know government has tried by putting us here, but our problem now is where to go, our property has been destroyed in the flood. I am a petty trader, all my goods were swept away by the flood, our house has already collapsed, the clothe I am wearing was given to me, where do I get money to rent a house now.'

Mr Adeleke, when contacted by Daily Sun said: They can't be there forever, definitely they must go but we will make alternative for them. Asked what the alternative would be, he responded: 'when it is time, we will know.' For Mr Abass Alesinloye, the Caretaker Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, the question of asking the victims to live did not even arise, since according to him, many of the victims had not been staying in the camp. He said, Abbey Technical camp was only meant to be a distribution centre of relief materials for the victims of the flood in the council area.

He stressed that, immediately the camp was opened, the local government held a meeting with landlords association and some of the victims and it was agreed that the centre would be for the collection and distribution of relief materials.

His words: 'We agreed in principle after our meeting with the landlords association that Abbey Technical will only be a collection and distribution centre. Many of the victims have either been sleeping in churches or mosques, while others are with their relatives. The council officials have been reporting here everyday to receive the materials from different people, organisations and so on, while the victims have been coming to collect them, so the question of eviction does not arise.'

Also, the Special Adviser to the state government on Public Communications, Dr Festus Adedayo, in his reaction said the state government was not thinking of moving the victims out of the place between now and when school resumed for the new session.