A three-year-old girl and five other persons reportedly drowned in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State as floods ravaged the state.
Meanwhile. getting to Asaba, the Delta State capital, from other parts of the state has become a herculean task for residents and workers as the ever-busy Ugbolu/Illah Road, Oshimili North Local Government Area has been taken over by flood.
The people can only access the state capital using boats to cross the flooded portions.
On the Rivers flood, Mr Obed Douglas said the girl drowned at Okwuzi community in Egbema area of ONELGA while one of the victims died at Omoku.
He said four of the incidences were reported in different communities in Ndoni area, calling on the government for urgent attention to rescue some residents still managing within the affected communities.
The leader of Egbema Voice of Freedom, Mr Evaristus Nicholas, expressed regrets that the people of Egbema have been cut off from other parts of Rivers State.
Nicholas said the N1 billion raised by Governor Nyesom Wike to take care of flood victims in the state was not enough, adding that more communities have been taken over by the flood.
He said: “There is no road for the people to come out. Egbema is cut off. The whole communities in Egbema are flooded. There is no home for people again. There is no plan for the people.
“Government is not doing enough to save the people. Nigeria is not doing enough to save the people. It is unfortunate. SEMA is not working, but what we have is a task force to take care of the N1 billion for the affected communities.”
Meanwhile, John Ejoma, from Ndoni community, said the people who have been sacked by the flood are stranded on the roads, adding that they are jostling for shelter.
Ejoma said: “The flood has affected us badly. The whole place is flooded. Our houses have been submerged. People have packed out of their houses looking for where to keep their property.
“We are calling on the government to please come and help us get where we will hide our heads first before we talk of other things.”
Delta workers, residents abandon cars, resort to boats
A man in a virile video tagged; ‘Chike and the River,” said: “A trip of a few minutes from Asaba to Ugbolu is now through a boat ride. I had to abandon my car here to get across.
“The last time this happened was in 2012. I must say it was worse than this then but I cannot say yet if this year will be worse or better because as you can see, everywhere is filled with water.
“This is supposed to be the asphalted road from Asaba to Ugbolu but everywhere is filled up now, it reminds me of ‘Chike and the River’.
“In the last few days, it has not rained here, it must be noted but whether it rains or not, the water volume is increasing simply because countries, like Guinea, Mali, and Niger that hold the River Niger before it gets to Nigeria, have opened up their dams so the water could flow through. That is why the water keeps on increasing.
“Don’t forget we are the last country to host the River Niger before it gets to the Atlantic ocean.”
He lamented that various administrations have been paying lip services to the dredging of the River Niger, adding: “So, any large volume of water coming into the River Niger flows to its banks and this is what we are suffering now.
“We can only hope that the incoming government in this country will dredge the River Niger to avert further problems. But whatever be the case, thank God a lot of people have been evacuated, and no lives were lost.”
