Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The senator representing Anambra Central, Iyom Uche Ekwunife, has asked Nigerian citizens especially those in Anambra State to hold government accountable.
Senator Ekwunife who was shocked at the devastation caused by flood in Owelle-Aja village, Obosi urban in Idemili North local government of the state which is part of her constituency, urged the people not to allow politicians to use and dump them, wondering why the government should allow such devastation in that area.
Speaking shortly after an on-the-spot assessment of the people’s plight in the area occasioned by the massive flooding the senator said: “Our people have to develop the habit of holding government accountable.
“You must not allow politicians to use your votes and ascend to positions of authority and not meet the minimum responsibilities for your welfare. That era is gone.”
She observed that structural developments in the area were not properly done and called on the state government to ensure that its contractors took cognizance of the environmental peculiarities of areas they were working on in the execution of their projects just as she urged the government to properly supervise the contractors in terms of adherence to contractual terms.
The visit to the area according to the senator was as a result of a save-our-soul (SOS) message sent to her by the people leaving in the area and the need to see how to get government intervention to address the problem.
In the area, it was observed that most of the buildings housing schools, industries, residential and worship places had been submerged and the inhabitants displaced while parts of the village were totally cut off by the flooding which reached up to the height of the roof of a bungalow.
Ekwunife bemoaned the huge economic and social loss borne by the people due to the challenge and promised to take up the issue in Abuja so as to attract Federal government’s attention to the menace.
She also promised to write to the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, to urgently intervene in the matter, as according to her, “with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants, the area deserves all the help it can get from all government institutions.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the village, Chief Edwin Muolokwu thanked Ekwunife for responding to their call and attributed the challenge to improper termination of drainage in the area surrounding the village by government contractors.
He appealed to the senator to use her contacts as a known achiever to bring a solution to their plight.
It could be recalled that Senator Ekwunife had on July 18, moved a motion of Urgent National Importance on the devastating storm in Obosi, Nkpor and Oraukwu communities of Anambra State and prayed the Senate to mandate the Ecological Fund Office to visit the affected flooded areas in Nkpor, Oraukwu, and Obosi to provide a remedy and advance solutions to the erosion menace in the areas.
She also urged the Senate to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials and support to the communities.