Preamble:
The recent flooding that affected
Anambra State, no doubt, must have exposed it to a lot of characters,
administrative lapses and leadership questions begging for some answers,
especially concerning the politicking going-on over the flood and affected
communities.
Anambra State, is a name ordinarily
taken from a popular river linking the River Niger and known as ‘Anambra’ or
‘Omabala’ River. Strategically located in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria,
Anambra State is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south,
Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north, claiming to have one of
the highest population densities on the continent.
The state comprises numerous
thickly populated villages, a number of small towns and a few major towns; some
areas are so thickly populated that the estimated density is 1500-2000 persons
living within every square kilometre. One of such towns is Awba-Ofemili in
Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State, which has border with Enugu
State via Ibeto-Olo.
Awba-Ofemili, a town cut-off by flood:
Though Awba-Ofemili was cut-off by
the recent flood surge, culminating in loss of properties and agricultural
products worth billions of Naira, there was no record of loss of live yet.
Mainly an agrarian town, Awba-Ofemili, reputed for massive rice production is
located less than 25 minutes drive from the capital city of Awka, Anambra
State, under normal circumstances where good roads prevail. Incidentally, lack
of accessible road has been the bane of development in Awka-North and
Awba-Ofemili precisely.
Speaking on the recent flood,
chairman, Lagos branch of Awba-Ofemili Development Union (ADU), Mr. Kenneth
Okoye told NaijaAgroNet the situation is lamentable, saying that Awba-Ofemili
as an agrarian community known for rice production has lost a lot of economic
products worth billions of Naira, including cassava, yam and plantain farms,
while some building soaked by the flood have since given way.
Describing the flood as
unbelievable, says its worrisome that the government of Anambra State did not
find it worthy to visit the town in the peak of the disaster, he enjoined well
spirited individuals to come to the aid of the towns affected by this River Niger
surge, especially Awba-Ofemili.
The Awba-Ofemili town was seriously
hit with this surge that farmers no longer attend to their farms, while all the
eight villages that made up the town remain drastically affected.
Our reporter who visited the
community and spoke to some of the indigenes discovered that one of the
villages in Awba-Ofemili, Umuosite, was under water thereby cut off with most
residents relocating to a building along Umuosite Road for their safety, while
those living along the Umuosite road were sacked as they now use canoe to pass
between Umuosite and other villages like Oyeagu and Akpana.
Women leader calls on Obi, FG, NEMA
One of the residents and women
leader in Awba-Ofemili, Madam Christiana Nweke said that the level of flood
reached a lintel of one of the storey buildings along Umuosite Road and made
the road, especially leading to farm lands around that area unaccessible,
whilst the flood lasted.
The women leader called on the
government, especially Gov. Peter Obi to quickly come to their aid, while
praying that the flood subsidises permanently.
It was further gathered that the
only major road leading to Awba-Ofemili, which has been begging for attention
over the years, was cut off too as indigenes trying to access Awka the capital
city of Anambra State, were being ferried at four points before they could even
get to neighbouring town like Ugbenu.
At the Agu-enu part of the town,
especially behind the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, the flood was not stopped, as
it took the church land for granted.
Further investigations showed that
Hon. Mrs. Joy Enweluzor, the chairperson, Awka-North, visited the Awba-Ofemili
town on canoe with her team of executive and promised to send food stuff and
other aids to the town.
Our sources said that several letters
on the flooded Awba-Ofemili and environs have been communicated to the governor
of Anambra State, who is yet to visit the affected town personally.
They called on the National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Anambra State Emergency Management
Agency (SEMA) not to forget Awba-Ofemili town in the course of their
distribution of aids to flood victims.
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| Gov. Obi of Anambra State |
Flood disaster emergency fund
Despite the fact that the Anambra
State government set up a three-man Flood Disaster Emergency Fund Committee
made up of the Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Economic Planning, Prof.
Mrs. Chinyere Stella Okunna, Ms. Ngozika B. Okoye, Hon. Commissioner for
Finance and Mrs. Azuka Enemo, Hon. Commissioner for Local Government, the flood
victims in Awba-Ofemili are yet to see the light in having such a committee in
the state, especially in Awba-Ofemili, where every relief material have been
stored away in Ugbenu due to bad road.
Secretary to the Anambra State
Government, Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze, who confirmed these in a press statement made
available to NaijaAgroNet, adding that two bank accounts, namely at Diamond
Bank - 0028548840 and Fidelity Bank – 4020912984; were opened for this purposes
and to facilitate the work of the state government in alleviating the effects
of current flood rage across the state.
The Anambra State Government
(ANSG), thus, invited Anambrarians and the Nigerians at home and in diaspora as
well as all well-meaning citizens of the world to rally support for the
affected citizens of Anambra State, as one of the most affected states by the
flood.
The bigger challenge, he said,
would be in the medium and longer terms, when the Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) would need to be returned to their respective homes, rehabilitated and
resettled after the flood receded completely.
Canvassing for vote:
The ANSG, he said, would be
counting on the Federal Government, its agencies, especially NEMA and
international partners, to join hands with the state in overcoming the
unprecedented humanitarian challenge.
“We thank all those who have expressed concern
in cash or in kind or sent goodwill messages about this catastrophic disaster,”
he said.
ANSG acknowledged that well-meaning
citizens and organizations have also been making donations in kind, through
SEMA.
All in-kind donations, Obaze
pointed out should be directed to the SEMA office along the Enugu-Onitsha Road
(by J-Jumac Hotel), Awka, even as SEMA could be reached by phone 08037424242.
NaijaAgroNet confirmed that the
Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Mr. Obaze visited the Awba-Ofemili
Amensea axis of Awka-North LGA, but could not get to Awba-Ofemili due to
submerged road.
However, it has been argued that if
it had to do with votes, the Governor Peter Obi-led government of Anambra
State, would not have sent the SSG and even the SSG should have found a way of
getting to the town, Awba-Ofemili, to canvass for votes, which they got in good
numbers at the last election.
Just before the curtain:
Does it then not make sense that an
alternative route should have been used in ensuring that those victims,
especially in a town like Awba-Ofemili, should have been reached through
airlifting of such people and materials.
This is a poser for the leadership
of Anambra State under Mr. Peter Obi to answer. By the way, how much will it
take the government to get these aid materials airlifted?
Another school of thought argued
that its only the military that has the helicopter for such kind of services.
If so, is this flood disaster not enough to attract military sympathy? Or are
we waiting for deaths to be recorded?
It is true that aids have been sent
to Awba-Ofemili by the state governments, Senator Nwabueze Ngige, Hon. Emeka
Nwogbo and his state house of assembly counterpart as well as the LGA
chairperson, the fact is that these aids materials have not reached the
destination, the people of Awba-Ofemili, because there is no road and
airlifting of these materials probably was an option for the donors and state
government particular, in spite of efforts to get them notified on the efficacy
of delivering the materials appropriately.
There is need to have an
operational health centre in place to cater for the residents of Awba-Ofemili.
We must not wait until there is one outbreak or another.
Also, it is certain that some of the items may
even have gotten bad due to poor storage. What this tells us, sadly is that if
it had been a more serious thing than what was seen, no live, actually would
have been saved from Awba-Ofemili?
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