In line with his policy of ‘No Camp For Flood Victims’, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has continued to demonstrate his non-chalance and indifference towards the plights of thousands of Deltans affected by the ravaging flood in several Local Government Areas.
It would be recalled that in October 2020, the Okowa-led administration announced its decision not to care for flood victims in the State any longer, insisting that it would not set up Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps for victims.
Giving reasons for the government position during a press briefing the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu had stated then that, apart from the Covid-19 issue, majority of people found in IDP camps are not the real victims of flood disaster, adding that the real affected victims know how to cope.
“We will not set up camps because the original flooding communities have learnt how to cope with the challenges associated with the flood.
“We will not set up camps because of COVID-19. We will not set up camps because majority of people in camps are not even those who are really affected by the flood”, Aniagwu had explained then.
The New Diplomat could also recalled vividly that during the 2020 flood disaster in the State, four residents of Oko Community in Oshimili South Local Government Area lost their lives in their bid to escape in a dug-out boat from the submerged home. Unfortunately, the boat capsized killing the four of them.
This time around the flood has already overrun Communities in several Local Government Areas of the State wrecking havoc especially on Isoko South Local Government Area where two lives have been reportedly lost with hundreds of buildings, property and farms worth hundreds of millions of naira, have been damaged.
Also affected are parts of Isoko North, Oshimili South, Ndokwa East, Burutu, Ughelli South amongst other Local Government Areas of the State.
However, ostensibly sticking to its policy of nonchalance, indifference and utter negligence to the plights of the affected Deltans, Governor Okowa and his government have abandoned the flood victims of the State to their fate.
Reports from SaharaReporters correspondent who braved it through some massively flooded Communities in Isoko South and Ndokwa East, indicate that hundreds of residents whose homes, properties worth and fish farms worthseveral millions of naira were submerged and damaged, described Gov. Okowa as “wicked and inhuman”.
In Ndokwa East Local Government Area, a middle-aged woman from Akarai Community and a young boy from Otuoku were reported to have been swept away by the ravaging flood. Their corpses are yet to be found as at the time of this report.
Communities mostly affected in Isoko South Local Government Areas include: Emede, Umeh, Aviara, Ikpide-Irri, Iyede, Ibrede, Ofagbe amongst others.
In Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Aboh, the headquarters of the Council has been submerged while Ashaka town can only been accessed through boat and canoes. Also affected are Asaba-Ase, Kwale and other Communities in Ndokwa East and West.
Parts of Asaba, the State capital were not spared as residents of Infant Jesus area along Anwai road were seen relocating from their flooded homes to other places.
Deltans who responded to the negligent attitude of the Okowa-led government described it as wicked and inhuman, adding that it is the duty of the government to cater for the welfare and security of its citizens.
“This 2022 flood is getting more serious than the one of 2012. Move around the affected communities, you can never find any Delta state government official. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has abandoned us. He is busy going from one state to another on how to garner votes come 2023 general elections.
“Okowa valued his vice presidential ambition than the lives of the flood victims. Even the SSG, Patrick Ukah, the flood committee chairman in the state is just sitting in his office in Asaba, issuing press releases without bothering about the lives of the people and without arrangements for immediate evacuation of victims. Like Okowa; like Ukah”, one of the flood victims in Isoko South, Mrs. Ajirioghene was quoted as saying.
If the forecast of NiMet and NEMA agencies are anything to go by, then it is expected that the flood situation could get more devastating in the State in the coming days.
