The riverine areas of Anambra State are not new to the yearly rituals of their homes being submerged by flood water, but this year’s is adding death to its pain, reports David-Chyddy Eleke
Out of the 21 local government areas of Anambra State, about eight of them currently have most of their communities under water, as a result of flood. Though most of them are not strangers to water, as they are mostly refered to as the riverine areas of Anambra State, residents of the areas are already used to water, and have nothing to fear about it. They are mostly fishermen, and are conversant with water.
The 2012 flood can be said to be one of the most devastating, but an elder in Omor community of Ayamelum, Mr Sunday Ibe during an interview with our correspondent that year had said: “We are not afraid of water, infact, the farmers and fishermen among us practically live in water, as most of them prefer to live in farm settlements, where they farm and fish, only coming into the communities when their products are due for sale, or at weekend.
“What is different about this year’s (2012) is that, even though we are used to our farm settlements being submerged, and some houses around the area too, this year’s flood spanned through every part of the community, submerging it,” Elder Ibe had complained.
Since after that year (2012), it has become a yearly ritual for the riverine areas of Anambra to suffer flood. But what is different about the 2022 flood is that besides destroying crops, submerging farmlands and drowning residential houses, this year’s flood is taking lives.
Last week, news of the death of a 70-year-old man, Mr Sunday Mesiobi, in Ogbe-Akpoma, Atani community of Ogbaru Local Government Area surfaced. Mesiobi was said to be the uncle of Mr Arinzechukwu Awogu, the immediate past Transition Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Council Area, who is also contesting for a seat in the House of Representatives, under All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to represent Ogbaru Federal Constituency. Awogu who disclosed of the death of the septuagenarian said he was found in his room which was submerged by water last week Wednesday.
According to report, the deceased had decided to stay back in his house to take care of it, after he had evacuated his wife and children. Though there are no explanation to his death, but many say he may have been asleep at night, when the flood surged and drowned him.
Awogu said his remains had been deposited at the Atani mortuary. “It was not clear the exact time the incident happened but family sources said that his lifeless body was found when one of them came to check on him and after calling his name repeatedly without response. They sighted his cloth floating on the water inside his room and when the cloth was pulled up it turned out that his body was under the water.”
In Ayamelum Local Government Area, which is also in Anambra North Senatorial district like Ogbaru, all eight communities that make up the local government areas are currently under water, while residents have been sacked from their residences, and are now taking refuge in school facilities, which have been converted to Internally Displaced People’s Camps.
Dr Amaechi Nwachukwu, a House of Representatives candidate of Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) for Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency who visited a camp at Igbakwu, one of the communities that make up the local government, raised alarm after meeting with the IDPs.
Dr Nwachukwu, a renowned orthopedic surgeon said there was need for government and individuals to assist the refugees through provision of basic needs, but also that urgent steps must be taken to provide the people with health needs, to avoid outbreak of diseases.
Nwachukwu who donated relief materials, quickly mobilised for the erection of an emergency health centre in the camp to check the health of the IDPs, and also administer free drugs. He said: “The devastating effect of the flood especially on the social and economic lives of members of this community is enormous. It is a moral responsibility upon me and every other well-to-do person to assist the victims of flood in Anambra State, considering the number of disease outbreaks that can emanate from the flood.
“With domestic and farm products lost to the flood disaster, there is the tendency that after the flood, the people will commence life from scratch, so we need to help as much as we can. The medical services we are rendering to the people today is to prevent or treat diseases that may arise as a result of the flood such as malaria, typhoid, hypertension and other ailments.”
But the biggest of the tragedies arising from the flood happened in Ogbaru, last weekend, where no fewer than 76 persons were declared missing after a boat mishap occurred. The tragedy, took place in Umunnankwo community. Eye witnesses said the ill-fated boat, which had about 85 persons on board, took off from Onukwu Bridge and was heading to Nkwo market, Ogbakuba before it capsized.
The Transition Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Mr Pascal Aniegbuna, while reacting to the incident, was not able to give a clear account of the number of persons that lost their lives in the incident, but said: “While some of the passengers were rescued, several others, unfortunately lost their lives.”
THISDAY gathered that the capsizing of the boat was as a result of the flood, which caused water level to exceed its limit, while also causing increase in the water’s tide. A former House of Representatives member, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene and current candidate of Labour Party (LP) for the next election, expressed shock and deep sorrow over the development.
He said, “This sad news of this terrible accident is numbing and painful to me as a person and must be very devastating, especially to the immediate families of the victims. This is a collective loss for Ogbaru as a whole and we are united in sorrow. My condolences go to the affected families and also Ogbaru people and communities, who have in recent times found themselves in the jaws of severe flood disaster that has practically submerged all our communities and displaced thousands of people.”
He said almost every community in the local government area was affected by the flood, but listed the most badly affected to include; Ogwu Ikpele, Akili Ogidi, Obeagwe, Ossomala, Ogwuaniocha, Umunankwo, Ogbakuba, Ochuche, Umuzu, Akili Ozizor, Atani, Ohita and Odekpe. Other areas devastated by the ravaging flood include Amiyi, Iyiowa, Ogbeukwu, Okoti and parts of Okpoko.
He added, “It is pathetic. It is a terrible sight in Ogbaru as a result of the flood disaster. The human and environmental conditions here are absolutely pathetic and requires urgent action from government in order to alleviate the sufferings of the despondent victims, most of whom have lost all their belongings to the flood disaster.
“These flood victims that cut across several communities, urgently need relief materials and other assistance from government and its agencies, such as NEMA and SEMA. I therefore call on these agencies to rise up to its responsibility and bring urgent succour to the people of Ogbaru, who are currently besieged by flooding, so as to avert the outbreak of health challenges associated with such incident.”
Meanwhile, many groups have started working to ameliorate the plight of the people of the area, when some of the affected persons have decried government’s inability to put a stop to the sufferings of people in riverine areas, which have become an annual thing.
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, who condoled with the families of persons involved in a boat mishap through a condolence message to the families of the victims, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime said his government just days before the tragic incident sent several interventions to the people of the flood ravaged area, who have all relocated to IDP camps for safety. He assured that government will continue to do its best to reduce the negative effects of the flood disaster in the state.
He condoled with the families of the bereaved, and Ogbaru people in general saying: “This development is still a shock to the government and good people of Anambra State. I sympathize with the families of people involved.”
Meanwhile, in Anaku, the Local Government Headquarters of Ayamelum Local Government Area, flood submerged the entire secretariat, while motorists, residents and visitors to the area were also reportedly trapped, as there was no access way back to town.
Mr. Paul Nwauba, one of those trapped, said that the flood was an annual occurrence that needed permanent solution. He also called for assistance in the form of boats to rescue trapped people. “We have been experiencing such but it is worse now as it has submerged the Onitsha/Ayamelum road, thereby trapping those at the Local Government Area, especially Anaku. The Ezu river has been submerged too, and the river covered by flood, thereby making it impassable for travellers and residents,” he stated.
Awogu, a former local government chairman whose uncle was killed by the rampaging flood said: “It has gone beyond asking people to converge in a particular location. We need more of a community based approach where community leaders, the President General will have more direct contact with victims everywhere including holding camps,” he said.
As at the time.of filing this report, the flood was yet to recede, just as more persons are displaced on a daily basis because of the rains. About 16 of the drowned passengers of the boat mishap have also had their bodies recovered, while an indigene of the area , Mr Gbugbulu assured that efforts were still on to rescue more bodies.
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It is pathetic. It is a terrible sight in Ogbaru as a result of the flood disaster. The human and environmental conditions here are absolutely pathetic and requires urgent action from government in order to alleviate the sufferings of the despondent victims, most of whom have lost all their belongings to the flood disaster