Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Oil and gas facilities within OML58 operated by TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited in Egi clan, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State are now under water due to the surging flood in the area.
The flooding has sacked most communities in Abua/Odual, Ahoada West, Ahoada East and Ogba/Ndoni/Egbema in Rivers State, while the Mbiama section of the East West Road has become unpassable, as flood victims languish in unkempt and ill-equipped Internally Displaced Persons’ camps.
According to the King of Upata Kingdom, Ahoada East, Felix Otuwarikpo, over 8,000 indigenes of Upata kingdom in Ahoada East alone were now in school premesis converted to IDP camps, as flood has ravaged 17 communities in Upata kingdom.
A visit by our correspondent to flood ravaged areas in Ahoada, Egi and Abua/Odual revealed that houses are submerged, farms and crops are destroyed, as flood victims resorted to using canoes as the only means of conveying their properties out from their homes.
Despite the sum of N1billion approved by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, for emergency relief measures to support flood victims across the state, flood victims are still sleeping on bare floors in various IDP camps in the state.
The governor, who empathized with the flood victims, had also set up a Taskforce to coordinate the distribution of relief materials to affected communities in the State.
“The N1billion approved by the Rivers State Government was to enable vulnerable families, particularly in Ahoada West and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGAs, which are the most impacted areas in the State, to cope with the devastating flood water which has inundated homes, farmlands and forced residents of affected communities to relocate to safer places,” Governor Wike said.
Meanwhile, a leader of one of the IDP camps in Ahoada, Prince Ehie, said though the Local Government Chairman had brought little assistance it was not sufficient and called on the government to provide food, mattresses and mosquito nets for them.
Ehie disclosed that his camp has over 700 flood victims, but insufficient food for the people.
“Once flood victims come, and they don’t see food and comfortable place to sleep, they go back to their flooded houses or neighbouring communities. We need food supply because what we are being provided with right now is nothing to write home about.”
Some of the flood victims said though they heard on the news that the sum of N1billion has been approved by Governor Nyesom Wike to assist flood victims, they were yet to see any impact from the donation.
One of them said, “We are suffering. Yesterday they brought us 20 loaves of bread and two bags of rice. We are dying of hunger, no mosquito nets.”
Another one said, “We need food, we are hungry. Flood has collapsed my house and I have eight children. I have been here (IDP camp) since Friday and there is no food to eat. We need the government to help us.”
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