Reptiles and other deadly wild animals have invaded Akioniso, Akinima, Mbiama, Joinkrama 1, 2 and 3 communities overrun by flood in Ahaoda West Local Government Area.
Both State and Federal governments have not deployed medical team to attend to thousands of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, suffering from rash and other skin diseases caused by their bathing, cooking and drinking of polluted water.
Paramount ruler of Akioniso community, Onisobuana Alabrima, who confirmed eruption of skin diseases in the area, lamented that the only help they had received from the government was five canopies donated by National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.
Alabrima said: “We have lost everything, food items and house material. We do not have food again, no plantain and cassava. NEMA, few days ago, brought five canopies for us and we gave it to some youths.
“Some of our people use canoes and others to move in the flood in the night and after that, your body will start to scratch you. The bodies of most of our people are filled with rashes.”
“People are sick. There is no water to drink. Some people drink this water because there is no option. Many people are purging.
“Now I have my own first aid which I carry sometimes, so anyone that is purging we give them that one before we rush to the hospital.
“There is no health assistance from any quarters at the moment. Till now we have not seen anything. We need good health care system and we need food items because we have lost all we have to the flood.”
“One woman left here due to the rush of the water, she went to the farm and she drowned. Her name is Victoria Akari. The incident caused panic in the community and people stopped going to the farm to harvest their crops,” he added.
“The hunger we envisage that our people will face after the flood is already setting panic in the community. Again the government negligence as regards this flood and the people who are suffering here is worrisome. It is only God and we that are here that know what we are going through.”
“Unfortunately, the government we thought will come to our aid is just there behaving strangely. All they are doing is just mere sham. The government has not made any effort over this flood,” he complained.
“There is outbreak of diseases everywhere and reptiles are coming into the communities at will. The kids cannot go to school anymore because everywhere is flooded.”
