BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—PEOPLES’ Democratic Party, PDP, and the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday traded words over Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s allegation that irresponsibility of previous administration was largely responsible for the flood disaster that unleashed havoc on residents of Ibadan metropolis a week ago.

This came as President Goodluck Jonathan is expected in Ibadan today to assess the effects of the flood disaster which the Red Cross said claimed no fewer than 102 lives and property worth billions of naira destroyed.

Oyo State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Mr Bosun Oladele, gave hint of the President’s visit after the first executive council meeting in Ibadan yesterday.

He said the Government invited President Jonathan because the enormity of the destruction in the city was beyond it.

The Commissioner said on arrival, the President will be taken round the city to see things for himself adding that there is no going back on the decision to demolish all illegal structures that inhibit free flow of water in the metropolis.

To check possible epidemic, he said government would fumigate all the areas affected by the flood, saying “Despite the unfortunate incident, we still felt compelled to do this because we believe we need to let the people of the state know how far we have gone and tell them our programmes.”

Ajimobi, Akala differ over cause of flood

Meantime, while the PDP warned ACN against holding the Adebayo Alao-Akala responsible for the ugly incident, the ruling party said PDP’s position was a manifestation of frustration.

Similarly, Akala described as unworkable the 7-day demolition notice given to owners of houses built on water paths in Ibadan by his successor.

He said the pronouncement was made on the spur of the moment because the Governor did not know the number of houses to be affected and that carrying out a demolition of such magnitude barely two weeks after the flood disaster would displace thousands more and aggravate the bad situation.

Akala, through his spokesperson, Prince Dotun Oyelade alleged that; “Ajimobi was trying to make up for his scandalous abstention from duty for five days after the most damaging flood wreaked havoc in his State but we suggest he should get on with the job instead of lying on his predecessor.”

But, ACN, through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Mathew Oyedokun noted that at a time when people of goodwill were sober and expressing sympathy for the victims of the flood, the PDP was trying to score a “cheap publicity and cheap propaganda”.

Oyedokun urged the state PDP to suspend what it called “its usual broth of reckless partisanship” for the moment and allow the spirits of the dead to rest in peace, stating that the party stood to gain nothing from this “unnecessary recrimination”.

“The dumbest person in the state knows that the flood is one of the several manifestations of the inept government that the Alao-Akala government ran for four years,” he said.

But defending Akala, the PDP noted that the Apete bridge which Ajimobi claimed was constructed by Akala, was actually constructed by Alhaji Lamidi Adesina administration in 2001.

Bashiru Akanbi, who spoke on behalf of the party, said ‘’Ajimobi ought to know the historical antecedents of Oyo state before making inflammatory statements and misinforming the public in order to cast aspersion on his predecessor.

What is required at this crucial time of Governor Ajimobi is to appeal to the Federal Government as well as well-meaning philanthropists, both within and outside the state to assist in providing succour and finding solution to the affected surviving victims rather than heaping blames or politicising peoples predicament.’’