2 months ago
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Several families and persons are currently affected and displaced by a flood disaster at Ugwu Mkpume Layout, Achalla Agu community in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
South-East PUNCH findings showed that the severe impact of flooding has been a persistent issue in Anambra in recent years, especially across communities near the River Niger and other flood-prone areas. With the prediction of NIMET of impending flooding in the months to come, the worst may not have come yet.
Anambra, being among the states being pencilled down by NIMET to be affected by the impending flooding, residents are worried that if critical steps and deliberate effort are not taking to forestall this danger, it might spell doom across all facets, including lives and property, farmlands and livestock, among others.
South-East PUNCH had reported that two persons, including a mother of three children and a yet-to-be-identified young man, were recently killed in the flood that suddenly hit the Ugwu Mkpume Layout, Achalla Agu community in Nkpor, on September 6, 2024, during a midnight downpour.
The victims were reportedly asleep when the flood suddenly broke into their houses and swept them away.
Three children were also swept away by the flood while they were sleeping, but fortunately, they were retrieved alive in another location and were rushed to the hospital where they were later resuscitated.
Our correspondent who visited the community on Monday, gathered that many buildings were still submerged in the flood while some persons were displaced, with properties destroyed and farmlands washed away.
South-East PUNCH findings from residents claimed that the flood was caused by the activities of a construction firm (name withheld) which channelled floods coming from Ogidi, Umunachi, Eke Nkpor and Obosi communities to a layout that cannot accommodate heavy flood.
The residents said instead of channelling the flood coming from the above-listed communities to the River Niger, the construction firm rather channelled it to a layout in their community, which resulted in the overflow and flooding as the layout cannot contain such a heavy flood.
Residents who spoke to South-East PUNCH in separate interviews lamented that over two weeks since the incident took place, none of the officials of the state government, the State Emergency Management Agency or relevant authorities have visited the community to ascertain the extent of damages caused by the disaster and identify with them in their plight.
They, therefore, appealed to the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to come to their rescue, saying their means of livelihood, businesses and homes have been “massively affected” by the disaster.
The Vice President, Ugwu Mkpume Achalla Agu Landlords’ Association, Ifeanyi Oghota, who described the incident as unfortunate, also lamented that the good intentions of the state government in constructing roads has “turned to sorrow due to wrong channelling of the flood” by the construction company that handled the road project at inland doors of Nkpor-Umuoji Road.
Oghota said, “The damage is regrettable. We have not witnessed this type of flood in our community in 25 years. It is regrettable what the bad work of the construction company has caused us and we appeal to the state government to come to our aid.”
Also speaking, one of the landlords in the area, identified as Dr Ugoh, said, “This is what we woke up to see one Friday morning. The floods caused by persistent heavy rains broke into our houses and damaged properties and farmlands. I am a pig farmer, it swept away my pigs.
“What we are saying is that our community has not been given the needed attention and it’s been over two weeks since the disaster occurred. Properties were destroyed, many people are still been displaced and properties and means of livelihood were damaged. It’s disheartening that we have abandoned to their fate.
“Although, the flood has started receding and some people have been returning to their homes, but then the damages have been done and the community is in dire need of government interventions so that this issue is resolved and the floods channelled appropriately to the right channels.
“The member representing the community in the House has been notified and the community has been asked to write a letter of complaint and send to Awka, we expect the relevant authorities to look into this situation.
“Members of the community met and we collectively agreed to write a petition to the Ministry of Works, which we have submitted on Monday. We also copied the office of the state governor and we are hoping they give the community the needed attention to avert further disasters.
“We are calling for urgent interventions by the relevant authorities. This is because NIMET has predicted an impending flood before the year runs out and ahead of this; there is an urgent need for relevant authorities to do the right things by taking critical steps to avert this imminent danger.”
Also adding their voices, other residents and victims, said that they had not witnessed this type of flood in the area in the 25 years that they have been living in the community.
The residents, therefore, appealed to the state governor, Prof. Soludo, to come to their rescue.
Also reacting to the development, the Organisation for Climate Control and Sensitisation, an environmental non-governmental organisation based in the state, called for urgent action to avert further loss of lives and properties in the state.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Nkechinyere Uzor, in Onitsha, on Tuesday, the organisation expressed deep sadness and commiserated with the families that lost their loved ones to the disaster, while also expressing its displeasure that no relevant authorities, including the state government, has shown empathy to the plight of the victims of the area.
Uzor lamented that the relevant authorities were not tackling environmental and climate issues in the state with the needed resources.
