By George Ewulum :
The people of Ayamelum Local Government, Anambra State including Umerum, Umumbo, Omor and Anaku have lost crops and property worth billions of naira to flooding.
The President General (PG) of Umumbo Mr Ejiofor Okoye announced this in an interview.
According to him, farmlands such as Okpoto River Basin, Aje River Basin, and Iyi-Ogwe River Basin worth billions of naira have been submerged by raging floodwaters.
Ejiofor explained that the majority of the affected farmers collected loans running into billions from banks to establish their agric businesses and have no means of survival as a result of sudden flooding.
He called on the Federal and State governments to come to their aid by releasing adequate funds to cater for the affected communities, citing the United Nations (UNO) charter on Human Rights, Women and Children.
He argued that by extension the lives of the people have been seriously threatened by flooding and that various governments should do the needful to save the life of citizens using the taxpayers’ money.
In another interview, Igwe Christopher Chibuogu Ndibe of Umerum community said that although the Soludo-led administration is a new government, it should make contingency arrangements to mitigate the negative effects of the current flooding.
The Traditional Ruler of Umerum added that proactive measures should be taken just like the past regime; it would raise the confidence in Ndi Anambra that the government is looking after them.
Igwe Christopher Ndibe called on the Federal and State governments to release relief materials as the flooding is surging seriously.
He noted that the Umerum community unlike other towns in Ayamelum did not have an Internally Displaced Camping facility to shelter the displaced people. He said that the victims have gone to stay with relatives and as such added to their burden.
Another victim Osita Dennis who hails from Anaku complained that a lot of farmlands bearing crops like rice, yam, and maize including CosCharis mega farm have been devastated by the flood.
According to him, the disaster that started barely five days now has cut- off the roads from people such that there is no vehicular movement to and fro Ayamelum.
He also complained bitterly that no relief material of any kind has been sent to the people.
The former councillor, Hon. Osita condemned governments insensitivity and charged both levels of government to quickly do the needful
While talking to another victim from Umerum who gave a distress call at press time, he said that countless numbers of children including old people are missing as a result of this sudden flooding.
The caller who pleaded anonymity revealed that up until this moment bodies of those people have not been found since the water level is increasing uncontrollably.
He blamed the Federal government, pointing out that they would have used Federal ‘might’ and Federal resources to forestall this perennial flood disaster.
He added that the families of those missing are waiting for the government to compensate them monetarily and otherwise including other damages.
He vowed that he would drag the Federal government to court if they fail to protect the lives and properties of its citizens with their taxpayers’ money.
