ANGUISH AS FLOOD SWEEPS ANAMBRA COMMUNITY
REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
Over three hundred buildings, including churches, schools and health facility have been submerged by flood in Ogwu-Ikpele, Ogbaru local government area of Anambra State.
The situation has also forced farmers in the area to harvest their crops prematurely.
Ogwu-Ikpele, one of the oil producing communities in Anambra State, shares boundary with Rivers and Imo States and the only means of transportation to the oil producing community is speed boat.
Despite the directive by the Nations Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), that state governors of communities along the banks of rivers Niger and Benue should start relocating residents to higher grounds, the people remained in their homes until the flood caught them unawares.
When Radio Nigeria alighted the speed boat that took about forty minutes from the point of take off at Osamalla loading terminal, the people of Ogwu-Ikpele were seen in their different homes paddling canoes to move around the communities.
Children were also seen swimming the flood waters as seven year old Chiamaka Udemba confirmed that their school premisses had been covered by the ragging flood.
Ms. Ogechukwu Adizue, who managed to swim through the flood to speak with the media, said apart from property destroyed, the incident also trapped her aged mother in their family house.
The President General of Ogwu-Ikpele, Chief Sunday Mmadupu, said the flood forced farmers to harvest their crops prematurely, while worship centers, health facilities and buildings have all been flooded.
Chief Mmadupu appealed to the Federal and Anambra State Governments to urgently come to their rescue as the eight villages in the community had been badly affected.
A resident, Chief Akakadinam Anagbaoso, expressed regret that the people had been so marginalized, noting that politicians had failed to fulfill many promises they made to upgrade infrastructure in the area.
Chief Jonathan Eziemuonwu said the situation in Ogwu Ikpele Community and many other communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area no doubt would be managed in subsequent years should government build concrete walls along the river lines in the area.
Another resident, Mrs. Ndali Ijeoma, lamented that apart from harvesting their crops prematurely, there was also no means of evacuating the farm produce to other places where they were needed.
The People of Ogwu- Ikpele Community are therefore hopeful that their cries will get urgent government attention to avoid loss of lives due to the flood menace.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
