Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The ravaging flood resulting from the overflow of the River Niger has rendered residents in over ten communities along the shores of the river homeless.
The communities which spread across four kingdoms are in Oshimili South and Ndokwa East local government areas of Delta State.
As at the time of filing this report on Thursday, the four traditional rulers had abandoned their palaces for fear of being submerged by the flood.
Farmlands, houses and other properties in the affected kingdoms including Oko, Abala-Oshimili, Aika and Okpai had gone underwater.
The worth of the properties destroyed are said to in millions of naira.
Although, the state government had set up holding camps for those anticipated to be displaced by the predicted flood, residents of the area have refused to move.
Lamenting their ordeal, the Owalle of Obecha-Utchi community, Michael Okwuesa said the devastation caused by the flood was unimaginable.
“We are suffering here, but instead of us to go to IDPs camp, it is better we die here in the village than dying in the IDP camps as it were.
“We choose to remain here because of the experience we had in 2012 and 2018. If the flood will kill us, let it kill us here in the village.
“They did not take care of us throughout the time we spent in the camp last year. We lost everything by the time we came back to our village, it was hell on earth.
“Government promised to assist us after the flood in 2018, but nothing was given to us to start life afresh and this year again, they are asking us to move to the camp to do what? Where we will die of hunger?
“A numbers of houses have been submerged including that of the king. From Oko kingdom to Abala-Oshimili down to Okpai are already flooded, not to talk of our farmland,” Okwuesa said.
He urged the government to find a better solution to the recurring disaster which has become a nightmare to the people every year.
