The floods currently affecting various states of Nigeria have taken a different dimension for residents of the affected communities in the Edo North Senatorial Zone where there are fears of possible outbreaks as locals are unable to find drinking water and places to bury their dead.

This even as the Igwe of Abala Kingdom, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Igwe Frederick Egbunokonye, ​​was evicted from his palace and Delta State Inland Revenue Service field office, Patani was inundated by a devastating flood.

In Edo State, over 12 communities in three local government areas – Etsako Central, Etsako West and Etsako East were worst affected.

These include: Udaba-Ekphei, Anegbette, Ukpeko Orle, Ofukpo, Agbabu, Osomegbe, Udochi, Yelwa, Ake Island and Ifeku Island among others.

Communities have been inundated by torrential rains over the past few months as the River Niger overflowed its banks.

Residents were forced to leave their communities as the water level rose above the window level of their homes.

However, the current fear is about outbreaks as residents of the affected communities lament the lack of access to potable water in the affected areas.
A graduate of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi and a native of Udaba – Ekphei, Etsako Central LGA, Moses Giwa, told the Sunday Telegraph in an interview that they had never witnessed anything like this.

He said: “We see it every year, it’s just that this year’s event is something else. As I speak, the entire community is submerged, some have gone to IDP camps, some to higher ground, and some have insisted that they are not leaving their homes and are above water as I speak to you. The flood has taken over our fields and houses, but the worst problem is the lack of drinking water. We cannot find water to drink anywhere. All the schools, markets, worship centers are flooded and contaminated with the water we drink. Many are sick now. The hospital is flooded.”

He continued: “In 2012, during the last severe flood, the then Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole did his best by providing Resettlement Camps and relief materials. We have not heard anything from the current government. No one came to visit, and no one found turmoil in our society. Please help us.”

She has a soulmate in Isaac Omoaka, also from Udaba. He said: “This is the worst flooding we’ve had since 2012. We thought we were the worst flood to churches, mosques, bazaars; all the schools were flooded.

“Chul, cassava, vegetables, potatoes, nuts and other crops were completely flooded as a result of devastating floods.

“Now the only available place in the community is not more than 200 meters from the flood and is the place we use as a market; Places like the Catholic Church, Christ the Apostle Church and the Mosque were flooded. The road to the village is flooded.

“One of our sons, who retired with the rank of colonel in the army, took it upon himself to make a modern hospital, primary and secondary schools equipped with a mortuary, X-ray and laboratory available to the public. All these places are under water. One of the problems today is even where to bury our dead.

“In total, five people died, but there is no place to bury them. The community is low land and we have a river flowing through the community. The river is a tributary of the Niger River. Whenever it rains, it floods everywhere.”

Earlier, the Edo State Government promised support to residents of riverine communities in the state during the inspection tour, noting that it had made adequate plans to provide assistance to residents along the banks of River Niger in the state.

Commissioner for Special Duties, Engr. Osasere Evboumwan, who inspected the facilities at the Udaba Ekperi Resettlement Camp, said the state government plans to ensure the proper relocation of lowland and riverside residents who may be displaced from their homes due to rising water levels caused by the flooding of the Niger River. .

The flood put the monarch out of business, flooded the Delta revenue office, five cities
Meanwhile, the situation in the neighboring Delta state is no less. The Igwe of Abala Kingdom, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Igwe Fredrick Egbunokonye has been evicted from his palace while the State Inland Revenue Service field office, Patani, has been flooded.

Also, the flood has severely inundated Ewulu and Oko towns, Aniocha South and Oshimili South LGAs, destroyed farmlands, crops and uprooted ancestral trees, houses and shrines.

Yevgeny Uzum, director general of the Delta State Orientation Agency, confirmed the disasters.

According to him, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has ordered the construction of nine IDP camps and three are already equipped for the accommodation of victims.

Officials (names withheld) of the revenue department in Asaba on Tuesday lamented the damage caused to government facilities by the torrential rains.

Our source said: “The rising flood has reached the point where the entire office complex, its surroundings and adjacent streets are under water.”

Similarly, in Ewulu, Comrade Osisi Ugochukwu Awele, the Organizing Secretary of the Aniocha South Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, said the flood has worsened since two weeks ago.

According to him, the local population lost their farms, fish ponds and houses as a result of the flood.

Igwe Ogbunokonye, ​​who moved temporarily to Asaba supported by the Oboe of the kingdom, Elder Chike Ugwunmadu, said 70 percent of Abala-Oshimili was flooded.

Also, Illah Kingdom, Oshimili North LGA was not spared. Two Isoko council areas – north and south – were flooded.

In another development, the Bayelsa state government has expressed concern that the impact of this year’s flood could result in a humanitarian crisis.

Mr Iselema Gbaranbiri, the Commissioner for Environment and Chairman of the State Task Force on Flood Mitigation and Management, who expressed concern on Saturday, while briefing the committee on its activities, said that at least 300 communities and villages were either totally or partially inundated in the state.

Gbaranbiri also announced that about 700,000 people were either displaced or affected by the flood.

According to him, almost all communities and streets in Yenagoa Local Government Area were also either submerged or partially submerged.

Communities in five other local government areas namely Sagbama, Ekeremor, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Southern Ijaw were equally severely affected by the flood.

The Environment Commissioner said cases of dead bodies being washed at the cemetery in Asokoro have been reported and there are concerns about an impending health crisis.

He, however, assured the people that the government will do all it can to help the flood victims as the committee is working round the clock to resolve the current crisis.

Governor Duoye Dire on Friday reiterated his proposal to hold a round table between the worst affected states and the Federal Government after the floods.
The governor of Bayelsa said

Such discussions yesterday were necessitated by the amount of public resources being diverted to dealing with infrastructure damage and the threat of flooding.
He spoke as he continued his on-site assessment tour of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and other communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area.

Areas visited included the Amassoma road leading to the Niger Delta University (NDU), which was cut off at three points along the way, leaving commuters stranded.

Diri said the untoward incident would hamper the resumption of lectures at the university as the Academic Staff Union of the University (ADUU) called off an eight-month strike.

Diri, while lamenting the huge cost of repairing the damaged roads by the government, stressed that if a permanent solution is adopted immediately, personal property losses and deaths would be minimal.

His words: “I have already thought of the course of action. Post-flood mitigation is very important to us at this time. The post-flood period will be about our broken infrastructure, especially roads.

“Thursday, we saw that the road from Ekeremor to Sagbama was seriously damaged by the flood. Now, the road from Yenagoa to Amassoma where Niger Delta University is located has collapsed in three areas. So, despite ASU stopping the strike, the university cannot be restored. This is what I am talking about the peculiarity of Bayelsa state and Niger Delta environment.

“It will cost the state billions of naira until these roads are repaired. There are also personal losses in terms of the houses blown away by the floods and the deaths we witnessed.

“In post-flood management, the Federal Government must sit down with the states to seek a permanent and lasting solution. One such solution is the construction of a dam, so when water is released from anywhere, we should be able to store it in Nigeria”.

The governor also inspected the state-owned airport and expressed satisfaction that despite the magnitude of the flood, the airport was not submerged contrary to speculations by opposition elements to discredit one of the best airports in the country.

He also visited the Basic School of Nursing and Midwifery in Tombia, Alamieyeseigha Road, Opolo, Oxbow Lake Pavilion and the State Assembly Quarters, Azikoro.

Others were the IDP camp provided by Chief Abel Ebifemowei along Yenagoa-Amassoma road, Igbedi community and Agudama-Ekpetiama road.

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