The heavy and steady rainfall witnessed in Anambra State in the last two weeks is taking a heavy toll on major communities in the state as three children were feared drowned, and two got missing in Okpoko, near Onitsha, Ogbaru Local Council Area.
Also, no fewer than 10 buildings were reportedly damaged while properties worth millions of Naira were lost to the devastating flood.
It was also learnt that the whereabouts of the two children declared missing is yet to be ascertained by their parents after their residences were submerged by the flood.
A resident of the area, Mr. Christian Aguchi, said the community had always recorded casualties whenever there was a heavy downpour.
“Since the rain started, buildings are collapsing and criminals have taken over the community, snatching handbags and shooting people.
“Three children drowned in the flood which flowed into their residences while two have not been seen by their parents.
“Even now that the rain has subsided, you still have remnants of the flooding flowing in some streets and one wonders where it is coming from,” he said.
Aguchi urged the state government to come to the rescue of the community, especially in the area of road rehabilitation.
“Some of the major roads should be rehabilitated to curtail armed robbers from terrorising the area as most of the roads have turned to death-traps,” he said.
Another resident, Ikechukwu Okoye, said that the area it was always submerged whenever it rained thereby causing the death of scores of residents, especially children.
He called on the state government to come to their rescue, saying, “We suffer two major disadvantages of flood menace and armed robbery” adding unless the state government comes to our rescue, we are finished”.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Marcel Ifejiofor, has warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on drainage channels to prevent road failures.
He said the state government had stepped up campaign against illegal dumping of refuse, vowing to bring the full weight of the law on defaulters.
“Residents must safeguard the roads and not be part of the problem because it costs the state a lot of money constructing these roads,” the commissioner stressed.
0 Comments