By: Tochi Onyeubi
Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta communities are witnessing massive flood that is ravaging the area which has followed the death of a pastor and his wife (names withheld), among other casualties.
Trumpeta learnt that, some riverine communities have been submerged under the flood as a result of the bursting of the banks of Orashi River and Oguta Lake.
Further information revealed that the casualty figure from the flood disaster has continued to rise as the flood swept away some homes and farmlands in Oguta, while no relief materials has been given to the affected members of the communities.
Reports revealed that, one Hon. Christopher Etiti, from Ezi Orsu, one of the worst hit communities, lost his child to malaria fever due to inability to get quick access to medicare.
Another victim recorded was one Hyginus Emeh, a farmer at Ezi- Orsu and native of Egbema who had been reportedly missing over four days ago, where he had gone to harvest his cassava at one of the farmlands submerged.
His floating body was discovered and has since been taken to an undisclosed location.
Some of the worst communities recorded, Ezi- Orsu and Anieze had some of the victims of the flood disaster, sleeping on top of the Orashi River Bridge that connects the area to the Akri Oil Flow Station, in further attempt to escape from the ever increasing rising flood.
In reaction to the flood, the Head of Imo/Abia Operations Office, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Evans Ugoh, who confirmed the death of a pastor and his wife on Monday’s massive flood in Oguta community, blamed the incident on the alleged neglect of earlier warning.
Ugoh who said he had earlier led a team of NEMA officials to Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema LGAs to monitor the sea level in the wake of increasing cases of flood in the area said, the agency gave evacuation notice early enough to seven communities, when they discovered an unusual rise in the sea level.
He regretted that the most casualties were recorded barely one week after the evacuation notice.
