……..Urgent Need For Gov’t To Aid Floods Displaced Victims In Delta State, Burutu L.G.A & Communities Under Ward 7.
The National Deputy President of Concerned Citizens For Izon-Ebe Development (CCFID) Comr. Ekpegha T. disclosed that the State Emergency Operation Centre had been activated as the state was already experiencing flood emergency as a result of river flooding.
Over twenty Communities in Burutu local government area in Delta State have been submerged by the so called flood water.
Comr. Ekpegha T. also an activist in the Niger Delta Struggle, Speaking to journalists on the 30th of Sept. 2019 in Ayakoromo City he alleged that more than twenty Communities under Burutu & Four (4) other L.G.A.’s, Bomadi, Patani, Warri south & North in Delta State were severely affected while others were not severe.
According to Comr. Ekpegha, Communities, Villages & Schools, that severely affected are: Ayakoromo Federated community (Ayakoromo Grammar School), Ebiegbene, Ojojogbene, Sunday gbene, Bobogbene, Gbekobu, Newtown, Akparemo gbene, Ogbegbene, Ofenibagha ( Okrika) and among others, the activist said over 70 per cent of Ayakoromo communities have been submerged By flood.
Particularly, majority of communities in Burutu L.G.A, are under water, and many households have been affected and displaced. As we speak, the water level has risen very high to about 5.60m in the coastal region.
In the last few days, many communities, settlements have been displaced as a result of flooding,” he asserted.
Flood threat in Delta State & Nigeria as a hold have become a normal and re-occurring phenomenon which sometimes has devastating impacts on human livelihoods and infrastructural development.
Causes of this problem are, poor drainage facilities and decaying infrastructures, lack of proper environmental planning and management strategies, poor practice of dumping waste/refuse and climate change coupled with inadequate preparedness have been traced and among others, human activities in terms of developmental involvements adjudged to be very important factors in accelerating the rate of this disaster which often leaves in its wake spread of diseases, loss of thousands of lives from various parts of the state and properties worth billions of naira being destroyed. The impacts of floods are more pronounced in low-lying areas.
It is high time the government recognised flooding as a real – time problem especially, in the face of global climate change. The ecological funds should therefore be used to protect the citizenry from floods and environmental challenges.
As a matter of urgency, am calling on the state governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the legislators representing the coastal region to sponsor bills containing the permanent creation Camps, with yearly budget to rehabilitate flood displaced victims.Design flood displaced camps and financial support to them, relief materials should be made available and other measures to control the threatening flood situation now before its cause more damage.
Because affected individuals need food, shelter assistance, provision of health services, drinking water and access to clean toilets.
He further advised those living in flood-prone and affected communities to relocate to safer locations or move to the nearest camps which had been opened by the state in different local government area’s, in order to avoid loss of lives and property.
