Delta, Edo floods: Over 500 houses collapse, traditional ruler, 4 others die •400 Kogi communities submerged - NEMA

Written by Alphonsus Agborh, Sylvester Idowu, Uchechukwu Olisah and Yekini Jimoh

Thursday, 04 October 2012

MORE than 500 houses have collapsed in various communities ravaged by flood in Delta State.

Worst hit are Ewulu community in Aniocha South-East of Delta State, which recorded over 100 houses as river Umuomi, a tributary of the River Niger, overflowed its bank and Ase community with over 20 houses.

Scores of persons, including those suffering from stroke, are trapped in the flooded Ewulu community, just as  victims of the three Oko communities in Oshimili South and Utchi of Ndokwa East councils have relocated to Asaba.

The Delta State government has provided boats and buses to evacuate victims from the affected communities to various camps in the state.

At Ewulu, the situation is pathetic as women and children who were ferried to safety had to use carts and bicycles to move their salvaged household items up hill to a temporary camp at the community secondary school.

President General of the community, Mr Paul Okocha, who lost his entire property to the flood, lamented the situation when the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Chike Ogeah and his entourage visited the scene on Wednesday.

At St. Patrick College, Asaba camp, children were  being taught skills such as hair-dressing, computer education, tailoring, among others, by a non-governmental organisation.

Narrating his ordeal at I.C.E. Asaba on Wednesday, an aged man, Obi Ifinnwa from Utchi, told Nigerian Tribune that over 700 houses have been submerged in their village, adding that most victims had to abandon their properties and flee from the town.

According to him, government should provide more boats to ferry people who are still trapped in the community.

Nigerian Tribune gathered the that Asaba-Onitsha expressway will soon be cut off as the flood continues to rise, even as most business operators between Okwe and  bridge-head have deserted the area while the expressway has been converted into a temporary residence by victims displaced from the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, the ravaging flood in parts of Delta State has claimed the life of a traditional ruler in Ndokwa Local Government Area of the state.

The royal father, whose identity is still being kept secret for traditional reasons, drowned when the boat he was being evacuated with capsized.

Reacting to the plight of the victims of the flooded local government areas of the state, some of whom are still holed up on trees and marshy areas, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Wednesday directed the heads of the flooded councils to drive the efforts to evacuate victims of the current flooding in the state.

He also ordered all political appointees to go back to their council areas to help in checking the flood scourge.

Dr Uduaghan gave the directive to all political appointees to return to their local government areas to assist in the evacuation and rehabilitation efforts during a meeting with members of the flood disaster committee, political appointees and Heads of Personnel Management (HPM) of the affected local government areas.

He instructed that all those trapped by the flood must be evacuated within two days, adding that a comprehensive report of the flooding detailing every community affected, number of displaced persons, those trapped, casualties, rehabilitation camp; problems and challenges faced should be ready within the same period.

According to him, the situation on the ground was “grave and grim” with over 100 communities in no less than 10 local government areas of the state affected.

The local governments areas affected are Patani, Isoko South and North, Ndokwa East, Bomadi, Burutu, Oshimili North and South, Ughelli North and South.

In particular, he said that River Niger has spread over its banks covering an average distance of between six kilometres and 10 kilometres inland in the affected communities, stressing that the tide was increasing by the day.

“Within a period of three days, the number of communities affected increased  astronomically and for now, there is fear of total flooding of the affected communities.”

Describing the situation as “devastating and a huge challenge,” he said most of the rehabilitation camps were already recording about 100,000 displaced persons, explaining that mattresses, food items and medical facilities were being arranged for the victims in the interim.

He lamented that two persons have died from the flooding but added that the committee headed by the deputy governor of the state, Professor Amos Utuama (SAN), to tackle the challenges of the flooding was working round the clock to ensure that no more life was lost.

Governor Uduaghan called for assistance from different organisations, corporate bodies and NGOs to contribute their quota in alleviating the sufferings of the displaced people, explaining that the burden was too heavy for government to bear alone.

“We are asking for assistance from other organisations and groups because everybody needs to be involved whether they are from the affected areas or not,” he stated.

 “So far, I have refused financial assistance from people, if any group or person has money to help the displaced people, they should convert it to tangible goods,” he said.

Speaking further, the governor said it was also the responsibility of the local government councils to provide for the displaced people in their jurisdiction, decrying the attitude of most of the councils to the flooding.

While briefing the governor on the activities of the flood disaster committee, the chairman of the committee and deputy governor of the state, Professor Amos Utuama, said the flooding was getting worse, as almost all the coastal areas had been submerged.

He noted that the committee had visited the affected coastal areas, opened rehabilitation camps and ensured that the relief materials were distributed to the camps.

Also, four persons had been feared killed in Ekperi rehabilitation camp at Ekperi Grammar School, Ughepe Azukhalu, in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State.

However, only the death of a middle-aged man, simply identified as Alhaji Bila, who had been buried according to Islamic rites, was confirmed on Wednesday.

Alhaji Bila reportedly slumped and died in the camp.

The camp was among those set up to cater for flood disaster victims, in the wake of the sack of some communities by flood, as a result of the overflow of the River Niger.

There were no further details regarding the identities of the other three persons or the causes of their death.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Wednesday, said over 400 communities in Kogi State have been submerged by Rivers Niger and Benue, saying that the country might experience more flooding.

The zonal coordinator of Abuja office of the agency, Mr Ishaya Chinoko, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Lokoja, on the efforts carried out so far by NEMA.

He said about 3,647 people were rescued in Ibaji Local Government Area, adding that “what the country is currently experiencing is white flood, arising from excessive rain.”

He added that more waters were coming from Cameroon and Guinea, the two sources of Rivers Niger and Benue and warned communities yet to relocate along the river banks to move now.

The zonal coordinator further described as alarming, the level of devastation by the flood in Kogi State, saying Ibaji Local Government Area was the worst hit.

He said the prompt intervention of the agency in camp management, supply of relief materials, search and rescue mission, as well as supply of drugs had gone a long way in assisting the state government in confronting the challenges.

Chinoko further revealed that because of the magnitude of the disaster,the agency had already contacted other international organisations, including the Red Cross and Red Crescent, for support, disclosing that there were about 40 relief camps set up across the state to assist the victims.

He expressed delight that no life had been lost in the area as a result of the disaster. http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/48643-delta-edo-floods-over-500-houses-collapse-traditional-ruler-4-others-die-400-kogi-communities-submerged-nema-