Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha

Over 2,000 residents of Okpoko Community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have been rendered homeless by flood.

The flood was caused by rainfall that lasted for more than a week.

President General of the community, Chief Edwin Emesinwa, said the areas mostly affected were Ezeakunne Street, Unity Comprehensive Secondary School, Okpoko secretariat and Obodoukwu Road, where the Sakamori drainage system that is about 15 feet deep, has been completely filled by silt.

“Within the Ezeakunne Street, Unity Comprehensive Secondary School and Okpoko Secretariat, about 100 houses that housed about 700 people that included tenants and landlords were either pulled down or filled with sand up to the roofing level by the flood. Residents of such houses have fled and some of their belongings buried in the sand.

“Over 1,300 of those living along Obodoukwu Road have also been rendered homeless, their houses destroyed and the road made impassable.

“Any time it rains in Okpoko, just like it did three days ago, we will not have rest, as there will be destructions in various places in this community, and nobody is spared by the devastating flood that comes from Awada area.

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“Since the commencement of this year’s rainy reason, it has been destruction galore in Okpoko.

“Most parents don’t allow their children go to school if it rains and those already in school will be quickly picked by their parents,” he stated.

A landlord and victim at Ezeakunne Street, Ugochukwu Ejezie, said the flood was mainly caused by the rehabilitation of Mgbemena Street, Awada Obosi, which he said has worsened the flooding with the sand carried from the construction site to their residential area.

“The sand the construction firm piled there will always be carried by the flood with other debris down to Okpoko through Ezeakunne Street, where I have a house and that is why you have this massive destruction.

“Since last year, when they started work on the road, we have not had rest, any time it rains, the flood will carry sand to these places.

“I live in Ezeakunne street, like you can see, nobody is living there now, unless you want to be buried by the sand that the flood always deposits.

“About 50 houses have given way and the only government secondary school is about to give way, the labolatory (science block) has been touched,” Ejezie lamented.