By Kemi Olatunde

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Following the prediction of Nigeria Meteorological Agency on this year’s rainfall, the Ondo State government has appealed to residents to desist from acts that can lead to flooding.

General Manager, Ondo State Waste Management Authority made the appeal in Akure while speaking with Journalists on efforts of government against devastating impact of heavy rainfall and flooding.

The Federal Government he said Nigeria will suffer flash and riverine floodings, particularly around floodplain areas.

At the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction organized by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, the Director General, Professor Mansur Matazu, also stated that strong windstorms across the country and sandstorms in the extreme northern states can occur before the onset of rainfall.

Reacting the General Manager, Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Fola Omowole who reiterated government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of residents of the State, highlighted various activities, his agency and the ministry of environment are taking to avert the problem of flood statewide.

Omowole warned residents to desist from indiscriminate refuse disposal in drainages and water channels to prevent heavy flooding and possible loss of lives and property.

A lecturer in the department of meterology, Federal University of Technology Akure, Dr. Ife Balogun implored farmers, especially along the coastal areas and riverbanks to take advantage of the weather outlook and plan the planting season to prevent damage to their crops and livestocks.

Others want residents to report cases of blockages, dumping of waste into canals and other unauthorised places to the relevant agencies for quick action.