.Houses, Farms Submerged, As Epidemic Looms
.Govt Vows To Intervene, Officials Visit Victims
Unprecedented flood have submerged 33 communities in Egbema in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State and rendered the residents homeless, with fear of outbreak of water borne diseases.
The 33 communities comprise Abacheke Community, with 14 villages, namely: Ogbedeyi Village, Ogboru Village, Okishikpa Village, Umudeyiezege Village, Umueze Village, Umuezukwefi Village, Umulakpu Village, Umuogrinya Village, Umuojioke Village. Other Communities include: Mmahu, Abaeze, Umuoji, Obeakpu, Obiakpu, Etekwuru, Obokofia, Mgbara, Oforola, Umudike, Ekugba, Opuoma, Okwuzi, Mgbede, Aggah, Uzuagbai, Iyomikwu, Iberu. Others are: Eyoka, Ukpa, Edekamagha, Bridge Ogboru, Nwamjuamuyi, Tumali, Abaraukwu, Olutu, Olubumuocha, Ugutu, Otuocha, Okemgabaga, Iyonminta and Utuogo.
The people of the affected communities spoke to Journalists during a tour of the communities on Saturday in company of the Coordinator of the Egbema North Development Area, Hon. Obinna Ariaga, and officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and appealed to both the Federal and State governments to as a matter of urgency come to their aid.
Speaking on the disaster, the traditional ruler of Abacheke, HRH Eze Ikeji Bright, thanked NEMA officials and the Development Area Coordinator for their prompt response, adding that his people are predominantly farmers and fishermen and that they have been displaced from their farm settlements and fishing ports.
The monarch regretted that many of his subjects are now refugees in their own communities due to the surging flood which submerged many houses and the only secondary school in the area. He said: “Government should assist us. We need urgent assistance such as food items, clothing, mosquito nets and other relief materials. We need govt intervention as soon as possible. Our Governor should find lasting solution to the flood disaster by ensuring that Oguta Lake and Urashi River are dredged as he disclosed recently, and also dredge the two rivers in this area”.
Contributing, the Coordinator of Egbema North Development Area, Hon. Obinna Ariaga, disclosed that the communities affected by the flood are now using boats to evacuate human beings and property from their houses to dry land. He added that the flood has led to loss of farmlands, plantations and fishing ports in the communities.
He expressed fears that soon the communities might be plunged into hunger and starvation as a result of the monumental loss, and opined out that there may be outbreak of water borne diseases as a result of the flooding.”I am appealing to the Federal Government through NEMA, international organizations and other well spirited individuals to come to the rescue of our Communities affected by this flood.”
Narrating his ordeals, one of the victims affected by the flood and a farmer from the community, James Elemma, stated that the flood has rendered his entire household homeless and as well destroyed his properties in the house. He called for assistance as he could no longer feed his family because he could no longer fish in the rivers.
Another victim who spoke to our correspondent, Adolphus Nwokocha, stated that he is a well known farmer in the community and that the flood disaster has destroyed about one hecter of his cassava farm and tones of processed ‘garri’.
Also speaking to Journalists, a Commissioner in the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), Hon. Goodluck Dioke, who hails from the area, bemoaned the flooding of the communities and described it as monumental disaster. While calling on NEMA to come to the rescue of the communities, he gave the assurance that the Imo State Government would come to rescue of the communities.
He said he would give a report to the management of ISOPADEC on the disaster, adding that dredging the rivers in the communities, from Oguta Lake and Urashi River, would bring permanent solution to the perennial flooding that ravages the communities.
Speaking shortly after conducting on the spot assessment of the affected areas, Nwaeze Innocent, Team Leader and Principal Search and Rescue Officer of NEMA in Imo State, disclosed that the situation is a very severe one and that their Agency would put together a compressive report of their assessment to enable the Federal Government make provisions of relief materials and other items that could help ameliorate the sufferings of the affected communities.
According to Nwaeze, “From what we have seen here there is going to be cases of secondary emergency situation as a result of this flood incident. I advise the people of the affected communities to urgently evacuate from the affected areas and as well relocate their children to a safer ground.”
He also advised the people of the communities to discontinue constructing new buildings in the area that is always submerged by flood to avoid wasting their hard earned resources and risking lives in the future.
