Okenyi Kenechi
It is no longer news that the Nkpolu area of Obio/Akpor local government is flooded. What is, however, news is the Rivers State government has refused to do anything about it.
The flood has not only made the Nkpolu junction a centre of human chaos as manhours are wasted daily in traffic while commuters dodge deaths.
It has also made life unbearable and has increased transportation fare for commuters who ply the Rumokoro-Choba axis of the East-West road.
The persistent traffic has culminated in the destruction of that portion of the road with heavy-duty vehicles falling at will due to the depth of the potholes.
Four months ago, it was not like that and one lane of the busy East-West road was not abandoned by commuters.
The Rivers State Government, in July, through the commissioner for works, Dum Dekor, promised to do all within its powers to ensure a free flow of rainwater in the community. That was after theportcitynews wrote a scathing editorial detailing the government’s inability to tackle the problem.
However, months after that promise was made, the government seems to have relaxed, waiting for the problem to abate by itself. This, to say the least, is unacceptable and the government should find a lasting solution to the smelly ocean of rainwater at that junction.
The Nkpolu flood has not only exposed the government’s lack of attention to the suffering of residents who do not live in the highbrow areas of the city. It has shown the inefficiency of the ministry of works which for long, would have mobilized equipment to the community and opened up the canal to ensure free flow of water.
What is even worse is the fact that school children swim through the stagnant water with its unpleasant odour in their bid to acquire education. The once bubbling economic activities in the community have been put to a screeching halt with residents praying for a miracle.
It is urgent and necessary that the Rivers state government wade into whatever land dispute that led to the blocking of the rainwater channel in the community and ensure a speedy resolving of the matter.
A whole community and other commuters cannot continue to suffer due to the greed and inefficiency of a few.
