…Beg Soludo for Help
By Ikeugonna Eleke
Flood occasioned by torrential rainfall on Monday night sacked over a dozen families from their residences in Ngozika Estate, Awka, the Capital City of Anambra State.
Anambra had initially been named as one of the states to suffer flooding this year, but specific local governments had been identified to be prone to flood and residents of those areas had been alerted to leave to places deemed safer, while IDP camps were set up for the indigent among them.
Ngozika Estate is considered to be a highbrow residential area in Awka, the capital city, and well away from local government areas that have been listed to be prone to flood, but last Monday, there was wailing among residents as flood water overran many compounds in the state.
Most of the families sacked by the flood water are currently squatting with friends and family in safe areas, while the rich among them have relocated to hotels. The estate is known to be the choice residents of some of Anambra’s privileged individuals.
A resident of the area said, ‘We have moved out of our homes into a hotel. Everything we own has been submerged by flood and we are currently homeless. We are calling on the Anambra State Government to come to our aid because we are suffering.
‘This morning (Tuesday), I just came to our house to inspect the place, after neighbours helped to evacuate me and the children last night, and you won’t believe what I saw. Our entire property have been damaged by water, and many of them missing.
‘Currently, I do not know where to start from. We are not the only ones affected. In the hotel where I and my children are staying, there are about five other families staying there.
‘As I speak with you, it is planning to rain again, and I am very afraid for myself and my family. We are calling on Governor Soludo to come to our aid.’
Meanwhile, it has been gathered from some others affected that the flood was caused by an undeveloped plot in the area which has a blocked drainage.
‘The owner of the plot is said to be a widow who lives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. She had once been mandated by the Anambra State Government to develop the place so as to ease off flood water from the area and she accepted, but after a year when nothing happened, the Government threatened to revoke the land. She ran to a bishop in the Onitsha Area and the bishop made a call to Soludo and she was allowed.
‘Now, that piece of land is becoming a threat to residents of this area, and we are calling on Governor Soludo to do what is right to save his subjects,’ one of the victims said.
As at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that residents had made phone calls to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), but no response or help had come their way.
