Lorine Emenike
Flooding has displaced over 2000 persons in Rumuekini community, Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State following the recent daily heavy rainfalls.
Chairman of Rumuekini community development committee, Nnamdi Owhor, who stated this to our correspondent, Lorine Emenike, called on government at all levels to assist the community with water channels.
Owhor said channels which would extend from the back of UPTH to Choba River or from Obiri Ikwerre to Rupokwu canal would ease the sufferings of the community.
“As I am talking to you now, there are so many people who live in that area with no possible means of laying their hands on anything they have worked for their entire lives. Many people are dying, and we have been burying them.
“In fact three days ago, snake bit one woman inside the water and now that family is looking for a way to bury her,” he said.
Some residents of the community who fled the area to seek refuge elsewhere also said they had suffered untold hardship.
They said the water level has refused to fall despite the sunshine, adding that they have been monitoring the area by visiting every day to check the water level which has remained the same.
Some of the affected flood victims called on the state government to open up a water channel from the community to the Choba Rivers for the water to flow out.
A young man who identified himself as Chudi, said “I live here at no 4. I can’t even enter my house because the water level is at my waist. I learnt the place is now infested with snakes so I can’t also go in to check on my belongings.
“We thought that it was a flash flood that will rescind after a day or two, but it has entered into weeks, and I can’t live life like this not knowing what to do, just going here and there, sleeping anywhere that they pity me.”
Also, Gift Ihediohanma, another resident said “I live at school road, Alhaji street Rumuekini, the flood affected us so bad that we have to move out of the area. My room is filled with water, the kitchen, parlour everywhere is water; in fact, water from the suck away was flowing into my house before I moved out. We had to run to stay in a friend’s house that is dry.”
