Tony Osauzo, Benin
MANY residents were reportedly rendered homeless, yesterday, following continuous rainfall which caused flooding of homes in Anegbette, Udaba and Ekperi communities in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
A community leader in the area, Suleiman Gbagudu, while lamenting the situation said “more than half of the community has been taken over by flood, including farmlands.
“In the past, government used to bring palliatives, but this time, we haven’t heard from them at all. I am just watching from my upstairs, watching helplessly as the water keeps rising. We don’t know how long the rain will continue and if it continues non-stop then we are in danger.
“We are calling on the state government to act fast because people’s lives are in danger. Farmlands are being washed away with their crops, so we want urgent intervention from the state government,” he said.
Though Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Alex Oleije, could not be reached yesterday, he had said last week that the state was doing everything humanly possible to mitigate flooding in the state.
He said aside embarking on massive desilting of drains across the state, the government had carried out sensitisation programme to forestall flooding.
“With several warnings that have been given as its concerns this year’s rains and associated consequences, Edo government has taken proactive measures to lessen the burden.
“We have also carried out sensitisation programme, especially to riverine areas on the need to ensure proper disposal of wastes and for those in the low land to move to upland for safety”, Oleije said.
Federal Government through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had warned that Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa states which are contiguous to River Niger would experience severe flooding in September.