LAMENTATION AS FLOOD DROWNS 10 YEAR OLD GIRL IN ABAKALIKI

REPORTER: COSMAS EGBA

A ten year old child, miss Miracle Okpuru, has been drowned by flood at the down stream area of Azuiyioku/Iyi udele linking with Ebonyi River at Onuebonyi Izzi Unuphu within Onu Ebony i Junction, Rice Mill area of Abakalki, Ebonyi State.

Speaking with Radio Nigeria on the sad development, a resident of the area, Mr. Christopher Esha, attributed the pesistent sudden surging of flood in the area to poor job by the Nigeria Erosion Watershed Management and Control Project (NEWMAP), which abandoned the natural Iyi Udele River lane for short cut diversion to Ebonyi River.

The shortcut, Mr. Esha said, was earlier resisted by the residents of the area who advised against it but are now exposed to environmental safety risk.

Mr. Esha, who said the little girl was drowned while attempting to cross over the upsurging flood to her home, express regret that two other persons — Godwin Mbam and Luke Nwonumara — had as well died due to the excess flood in the area.

Corroborating Mr. Esha’s account, another resident, Pastor Chukwuma Nwite, who was saddened by the urgly situation, called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to send environmental experts in area immediatly to ascertain the remote cause of the environmental threat after the drainage channelling.

Pastor Nwite even argued that the residents continued to experience flood in the area even when there was less rain fall that should have guaranteed human safety.

For his part, Mr. Innocent Nweke and a family member to the deceased, Mrs. Janet Okpuru, described Izzi Unuphu Onuebonyi area as “a victim of development efforts” meant to address environmental set backs in the state capital.

They appealed for immediate action to address factors responsible for perennial flooding.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU