A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has urged the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) to treat massive rainstorm disaster that rocked Ekiti State as a national emergency.
The former speaker expressed regret over the incidence that had rendered hundreds of people homeless, with many losing their means of livelihoods due to the high level of wreckage witnessed in the capital city’s commercial buildings.
Hundreds of residential, commercial and public institutions, were damaged by tornado that accompanied a torrential downpour in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday, which has become a source of worry to the state government and spirited individuals.
In a statement issued by his Media Office in Abuja, on Monday, the federal lawmaker applauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for the promptness with which he reacted to douse the raging tension and allayed the tension among those that were entangled in the web of rainstorm attack.
However, the lawmaker heartfeltly condoled with victims of the massive rainstorm disaster, saying God will grant them the wherewithal to regain their losses.
He assured the victims that no cause for alarm, with the promises made by government to intervene and give them support to rebuild their lost property and business premises that were blown off by furious wind.
“NEMA as a federal government agency must treat such calamity as a national emergency. Several towns like Ifaki, Ipoti, Owatedo, Ejiyan, Iyin Ekiti and host of others, had earlier been ravaged by the same disaster before that of Ado Ekiti, that was devastating and disturbing.
“Looking at the level of wreckage, the NEMA should as a matter of urgency treat Ekiti issue as a national emergency, so that those rendered homeless and some who lost their business structures can be given a lifeline to regain their bearings”, he said.
Bamisile said he was particularly elated that that not even a single soul was killed in the rainstorm that wreaked havoc of monumental proportions on hundreds of buildings, describing this as heartwarming.
“Most interesting was the fact that nobody died, yet, rainstorm of that monumental proportion was heartrending and there was a need for speedy government intervention to salvage the victims from distress”.
