As flood continues to ravage different parts of Nigeria, Delta State has been experiencing its devastating effect. As it stands today, Delta State is among the worst hit states in the country being a coastal state.
Travelling from Asaba to Ughelli, for instance, is now a nightmare because flood has taken over some parts of the road thereby making it difficult for low vehicles to move freely and those who risked it had themselves to blame, because many of these low vehicles packed up after venturing into the flood on the road.
A trip from Asaba to Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area is near impossible now as the water level has risen so much that people now use canoe to move on the road.
In most of the communities visited, it was observed that besides houses and properties submerged by the flood, farms and livestock have been destroyed a pointer towards an imminent scarcity of food in the near future.
The flood, which is being expected to be worse than that of 2012 has affected all the local governments in Delta South, six local government areas in Delta Central and about five local government areas in Delta North.
Oneh Primary School Camp in Asaba
At Umeh community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, the people have raised alarm over what they called “imminent” collapse of the only bridge linking the community to the East-West Road in the Niger Delta region.
The agrarian community, which has been experiencing serious flooding, has cried out to relevant authorities in the state and the federal governments to come to their aid.
Among other appeals, they are calling on the authorities to save the popular Umehbridge from collapsing following the ravaging flood which has rendered the people homeless.
Speaking on the issue, the president-general of Umeh community, Simon Emamowho shortly after overseeing community youths using sand bags to fill the failed portions of the bridge, disclosed that both sections of the expansion joints of the bridge are already caving in from below.
He added that unless the Delta state government comes to their aid to prevent the imminent collapse of the bridge, the bridge may collapse soon.
The bridge is the only access road connecting Umeh Kingdom to other parts of Delta State as well as to the East-West Road.
“Our people have been neglected and marginalized by successive governments until Emmanuel Uduaghan came to our aid and constructed the only access road and bridge worth over N4 billion”, the president-general told this publication.
It was reliably gathered that following the incessant flooding in the area, a commercial bus plying the Ughelli/Port Harcourt section of the East-West Road on Thursday plunged into a river at the Umeh community junction while returning from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
An Umeh community leader and a lawyer, Duncan Afahokor, following the flooding of major roads, has called on the federal government to immediately close the East-West Road to motorists to avoid further casualties.
Afahokor, however, disclosed that following the unprecedented flooding across the Isoko nation, a group of Isoko persons within and outside Nigeria have met and come up with the “Isoko Floods Initiative”, with an objective to provide community service and pay special attention to the provision of food and medical support to the victims and vulnerable women and children affected by the flood.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged mother of five who was said to be sleeping, drowned on Thursday when her room became flooded at Ikpide-Irri riverine community, Isoko South council area of the state.
As the Delta State, Ifeany iOkowa-led government continues to ignore and neglect the calls for the rescue of flood victims in the state, two more persons have died after they were swept away by flood.
The two persons who lost their lives at Oyede community, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state, were swept away while fleeing from Oyede town to a neighbouring community while a woman in her 40s from Akarai community and another boy from Otuoku, both in Ndokwa East Council area of the State also died following the flood that ravaged the area and their corpses were swept away to an unknown destination.
Confirming the Oyede incident, an indigene of the community who simply identified himself as Oghenekaro, said, “This afternoon, three persons were trying to escape from the flood and the Sienna vehicle they were in was swept off the road at Oyede by the heavy current of the flood. The driver of the vehicle managed to survive but the two others and the vehicle were swept away and have not been seen as I talk to you”.
He decried the failure of government to act to protect the people.
“We have not seen this kind of situation before. A government that ought to take care and protect her citizens’ lives and properties is there allowing her citizens to die. Later, these government officials will be telling us the state spent several millions of naira on flood victims.
“The flood is increasing per second per second and the more we cry out, the more this Okowa government pays deaf ears to our plights. What is the SSG, Patrick Ukah, who is the flood committee chairman, doing? He and his committee just sat in their offices in Asaba doing nothing. We are still calling on governments at all levels to come to our aid,”he stated.
In the last two weeks, thousands of victims of flood in Delta State had been trapped and many displaced from their homes by the massive flooding.
The most affected communities are Ikpide-Irri riverine community, Uzere, Ivrogbo-Irri, Araya, Aviara, Emede, Umeh, Irri all in Isoko South Council area of the state as well as Iyede-Ame, Lagos-Iyede, Onogbokor, Ashaka, Ibrede and Abbi in Ndokwa East Council area including, Oyede, Ellu, Eberedeni, Okpe, Ofagbe, Bethel, Abalama, Ukpudhe, Asaba-Ase, Ase, Kwale, Oko, Beneku, Asaba among other communities.
In some of the communities visited in Isoko North and South, it was observed that women and children are the worst hit by the ravaging flood.
It is to be expected because most of these communities are agrarian and women take the responsibility of marketing the produce from farms.
Most of the deaths recorded so far are also, mainly women and children and many women have also lost their source of livelihood.
A 62 year old widow and escapee from Ikpide-Irri, Agnes Otota who spoke to National Point at Oleh in Isoko South recounted the ugly incident she passed through before she found her way out of the flood ravaged community.
According to Madam Agnes, it was a terrible experience that reminded her of the 2012 flood.
“This flood has reminded me of the terrible and sad event of 2012 when many of us lost our properties and loved ones. Some of us have not recovered from the pain of 2012 flood and now we have to abandon our homes and properties again.”
On his part, the chairman of Ndokwa East Local Government, Hon. Juan Amechee Governor, said the Council has recorded two deaths as a result of the flood that has overtaken the area.
He made this known while recounting the effect of the flood on his local government area.
He said one of the victims was a woman in her 40s who was from ward 5, Akarai, while the second victim was a six-year-old boy from Otuoku community in ward 6.
Hon. Juan Amechee Governor also commiserated with the families of the victims.
He said in Ward 1, comprising Umu Osimili Ossissa, Umuleke Ossisa, Umu Eze Ossisa, Olao Ossisa, Umu Uno and Umu Okolo, their entire farmlands have been flooded, while about 20 percent of the communities have been covered by flood, displacing 95 households.
“In Ward 2 comprising Afor Umuachi, Iselegu, Obikwele, Afor Ogbedigbo, Afor Okolori, Afor Obetim, Afor Umuachi Ogo, Afor Ogbeti all their farmlands have also been taken over by the floods with about 40 per cent of the communities covered by flood displacing 106 households.
“Ward 3 comprises Aballa Osimili, Aballa Obodo, Aballa Uno, Inyi and Onuabor. While all their farmlands have been covered by the floods, the communities are totally displaced rendering 558 households homeless.
“Ward 4 is made up of Okpai, Beneku and Utchi clans. All the farmlands in the ward are now covered by the floods while the communities are totally displaced rendering over 459 households displaced.
“Ward 5 is made up of Aboh, Umuti, Afiankwor, Okpokirika Ozizor, Akarai Etiti and Akarai Obodo. The ward has all their farmlands covered by the floods while the communities are totally displaced rendering 342 households displaced.
“Ward 6 is made up of Umuolu, Okpokilika, Adiai’ Obi Aka. Onyah, Owuriobia, Warri Irri and Otuoku. The ward’s farmlands have been submerged by the floods while the communities are totally displaced rendering 325 households displaced.
Ward 7 comprises Ase, Asaba Ase, Iwene, Ogbokor, Ekeregbesi, Egbeme Ase, and Anam Camp. All farmlands in this ward have also been taken over by floods and about 60 per cent of the communities flooded thereby rendering 313 households homeless.
“Ward 8 is made up of Ibedeni, Azagba, Ekpe, Okorafor Community and Osafu. All farmlands in the ward have also been covered by floods and about 70 per cent of the communities flooded thereby rendering 365 households homeless.
Ward 9 comprises Ibrede, Igbuku, Iyede Ame, Lagos Iyede, Awah, Onogbokor and Anyama. All farmlands in this ward have been taken over by the floods, 80 percent of the communities displaced and 412 households have been rendered homeless.
“Ward 10 is made up of Ashaka, Ushie, Ugute, Egwede, Asaba Ashaka, Obi Ivi, Ogbarude, Obi Ujene and Aballam. All farmlands in the ward have been displaced by the floods with 50 per cent of the communities covered by water and 285 households also displaced.”
He noted that few persons across the LGA have relocated from their communities to homes of relatives and friends in unaffected towns and cities.
According to him: “These persons were evacuated through self-efforts, community efforts and a few cases of Council assisted evacuation.
“Majority of the communities’ inhabitants declined from being evacuated because of the following reasons- Harvesting farm produces and managing to secure them for tomorrow’s sake, especially cassava, yams, plantains vegetables, etc; protecting their properties which are often suspended on make shift temporal suspension racks in their communities.
“Some have no place to relocate to since IDP camps are not set up in the LGA. The state made attempt to set up IDP in Ashaka two days ago but flood took over the Ashaka Skill Acquisition Center that was earmarked as NELGA IDP camp. Consequently, the setting up of IDP camp in NELGA was put on hold,” the embattled council boss explained.
According to him, “Some would have relocated to other IDP camps in Kwale, Oleh or Ozoro but accounts of the suffering endured during previous years’ flooding in IDP camps discouraged them from going to any of these camps.
“Some persons felt that it is too late to relocate having endured the hardship for over three weeks into the floods before the setting up of camps was considered.
“Some persons just resigned to their fate and have no confidence in government because according to them, it has become an annual occurrence and it is only when the impact is felt in some “Special” areas that the disaster is given attention; forgetting that NELGA suffers floods on yearly basis.”
In another sad developmental, flood has submerged the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government Area.
Apart from the bridge or walkway that links the Campus I to Campus II being submerged, the entire Campus II is under water just as the iconic administrative building which boasts of a driveway is also under water while staff and students have been sent packing.
Meanwhile, despite the magnitude of the flood devastation in the state, the governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has not appeared in any affected community either by way of commiserating with the affected or giving them assurance of government coming to their aid.
Those who spoke to National Point on account of anonymity berated the governor for placing higher premium on his personal interest of becoming vice president above the well-being of the people of the state.
One of those that spoke expressed his disappointment over the development.
“Do we really have a governor in Delta State? We hear how he travels up and down pursuing his political ambition but at this critical time he didn’t even deem it fit to visit some of these victims. It is sad!”
However, wife of the governor, Dame Edith Okowa, on Friday visited some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Asaba.
Okowa, who described this year’s flood as very devastating, noted that the magnitude of the menace surpassed a similar occurrence in 2012.
At the camp in the premises of the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), housing 1,437 IDPs, she admonished the IDPs to see the incident as an act of God, saying that God was all-knowing and would always do things as they suit Him.
The first lady said, “I am here today to tell you that all hope is not lost because of the flood that has affected everyone of you. Whatever God has created or allowed to happen, is good.
“So, rather than feel bad or keep thinking and become hypertensive, you should use this opportunity to glorify God and draw closer to Him.
“Some persons had similar flood experience and did not survive it. So for you who are alive and are here in this camp, please thank God, for nobody can question Him.”
She urged them to continue to trust and believe in God who has solutions to all problems.
While pleading with parents in the camp to be responsive, Okowa urged them to guide their wards in the camp and always abide by the rules, saying that the regulations were made to ensure the safety and well-being of IDPs.
She urged the young boys and girls among them to shun any act of immorality in the camp, stressing, “I want to warn the young girls and boys in this camp to know that this is not a time for immorality. Draw closer to God and live like brothers and sisters.”
Okowa appealed to well-meaning Deltans and Nigerians to show kindness to the flood displaced persons.
The other camp visited she is at Oneh Primary School with 402 IDPs.
She presented food items -tubers of yam, bags of rice, gallons of groundnut and palm oil, bags of garri, bags of beans and other items to the IDPs.
Meanwhile, the director general, Bureau of Orientation, Eugene Uzum has called on the Federal Government to support the proactive measures taken by the Delta State government on flood mishaps in the state.
The DG addressed the press on the state government’s dedicated efforts to reduce the effects of flood challenges caused by the release of excess water from Cameroon’s Lagdo dam, overflowing river and rainfall which have stretched beyond the usual season.
He stated that the Delta State government has established over ten functional IDP Camps and Distribution centers across the affected Senatorial districts. He urged the citizens of those areas affected by flood to move to the upland where these camps are located and relief materials are distributed.
He highlighted the intervention of the DESOPADEC in clearing the canals and setting up of IDP camps in Saint Michael’s School, Ughelli and Ashaka. He called on the Federal Government, NEMA and other independent organizations to take part in rescuing Deltans as this critical challenge seems to be more than what was
