By Pleasure Onohwakpo,
The people of Opuama and Tsekelewu-Polubobo in Egbema Kingdom in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State are calling on the federal, state and local government area authorities to come to their aid after floods swept across the area in the early hours of Saturday.
The unprecedented floods came as a result of a 12-hour heavy downpour last week Friday waking residents from their sleep.
It was gathered that the flood swept across farmlands and destroyed cash crops. Residential buildings, churches, schools and markets were submerged by the flood, sacking residents from the area to uplands as they made makeshift shelters for temporary covers.
The residents are calling on oil companies operating in the area and NGOs to respond with immediate assistance to tackle hunger and discomfort.
The Delta State Government in response to the plight of the residents, represented by the Warri North Local Government chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu and the Commissioner representing the Ijaw nation in DESOPADEC, on Sunday with other government officials visited the flood-ravaged communities of Egbema kingdom.
Surprisingly, one-third of the residents at Opuama were displaced as their houses including their personal effects have been swept away by the flood.
Welcoming the government officials, the oldest man in Opuama Community, Pa. Eguariare (The Amakuosowei of Opuama) said although the residents have been experiencing flooding in the past, Saturday’s disaster was unprecedented.
“We welcome you for choosing to visit us at this critical time. We appreciate the governor for his concern about our plight. Everywhere is affected by water. Our farm produce have been washed away by water and we are now experiencing food shortage. We have been experiencing flooding before now but it is different this year.
According to Pa Eguariare, “It has affected our houses and many people have deserted their houses. Our schools have been closed because they are flooded.
“We don’t have food because our farms have been flooded. And that is why we are calling on the government to urgently come to our aid. We thank the government for sending people to assess the situation but we plead urgent steps should be taken.
“We thank the Council Chairman, Hon. Asekutu and the Commissioner for DESOPADEC representing the Ijaw nation who are part of the government officials. We have been expecting the government and we thank God that the government is here now. We are hopeful that they will do something about our suffering urgently,”
Also, at Tsekelewu-Polubobo, the same scenario was witnessed where nearly all the residents have been sacked from their homes.
Farmlands, buildings, including two primary schools and two secondary schools, First Baptist Church and a Cherubim and Seraphim Church were submerged in flood water.
The oldest man in the area, Pa. Idabo Pablogbei, while addressing Hon. Asekutu, the Commissioner representing the Ijaw nation in DESOPADEC, Hon. Spencer Okubo Opoye and President-General of Tsekelewu Community, Dr. Abulu Bright, thanked the governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for reaching out to the residents within the shortest possible time.
Meanwhile, the President-General of Tsekelewu Community, Dr. Bright, recalled that this year’s flooding is the worst in the history of the Egbema Kingdom, adding that property worth millions of naira and all sources of livelihood have been lost.
In view of the current disaster, he opined that the government should declare a state of emergency as children can no longer go to school due to the flood which has taken over their schools.
According to the President-General of Tsekelewu Community, “This is the worst in the history of our community! We have lost practically everything to this flood. Unquantifiable properties have been lost and people displaced from their houses and sources of livelihood.
“The entire Community and surrounding villages are submerged. We had severe flooding in 2012 but the experience was not as harrowing as this. The flood has completely taken over and all we can see and feel now is untold hardship and hunger steering us in the face. Everyone is affected by this disaster.
“Government officials from the Delta State Ministry of Environment, Special Duties and the Warri north local government area came last week but the flood had not risen to thisj frightening scale, the present devastation of epic proportions. We are obviously in an emergency situation that the chairman of Warri north LGA-Hon smart Asekutu, the government of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the Federal Government, and their relevant agencies must intervene, to urgently come in to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
“This community is very strategic to the economic interest of Nigeria and Delta State as it is host to major International Oil Producing Companies (IOCs) and national oil and gas companies including Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria Exploration and Production limited (NEPL), Conoil producing Ltd, and Sahara energy services limited. This is where they do their business. We need the help of the oil and gas companies at this time also. We are urging them to share in our plight and moments of extreme pain, by ensuring that they come together with the government, and act fast in coming to our rescue.
“We are in a very difficult and overwhelming situation as even our children can no longer go to school. The two government secondary Schools and the two primaries have been forced to go on break. The Church buildings have been taken over by the flood. People can no longer do their businesses meaningfully as everything is now at standstill. Yes, life in our community is practically at a standstill.
“Our means of livelihood have been halted by this ecological disaster. We now look up to God, the government, oil and gas companies operating in our communities and good spirited individuals to help our people out of this situation,”
Also, Hon. Asekutu, while speaking at the home of the eldest man in Tsekelewu-Polibobo, Pa. Pablogbei, informed the people that the state government constituted committee visited the community about two weeks ago, himself and the representative of the Ijaw nation in DESOPADEC also paid a visit to the area due to the level of devastation.
“The State government set up a Committee and that Committee visited this community about two weeks ago. And today, I’m here because this community is one community that is very important to the State and to the nation, considering the number of oil activities that is going on here.
“One thing I want to assure our people that for the fact that the Committee deemed it necessary to visit this community amongst the flooded communities in Delta State, shows that we are not neglected, we are being carried along.
“I can assure you that the government is planning to get things done and done properly. So, we are here to assure you that the state government is aware of what is happening, and we as people from this area, we will not relent. We will continue to push to ensure what needs to come to this place. So, on behalf of the community, we can only thank the government for the attention we have received from the government so far., thank the governor, thank the committee and thank even our stakeholders, including our President-General, Dr. Bright Abulu who has been up and doing”, the chairman said.
In his address, the DESOPADEC Commissioner representing the Ijaw nation, Hon. Opoye, reminded the people of the state government’s commitment towards addressing their plights.
“When we were coming we stopped at Opuama and all the schools were under water. We moved here and we are here to confirm to ourselves. We have observed that the First Baptist church is under water.
And several houses have been submerged. It is like a marching order for us to see the situation for ourselves so that we can report back for them to do proper planning to address the flood that has been ravaging everywhere. We know that many people have been displaced.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank the Delta State government for its quick response. The flood is happening everywhere. But because of the report they got from here, they asked us to come again and confirm. And that is the reason we are here. So, I thank you for your patience.
“I want to appeal to you very strongly to take things easy with the government. I can assure you that immediately we send our report, we are sure the government will do something about it..”
