Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
In many communities, the people pray for ample rains for their crops to do well so they can have good harvest and make good income. But the contrary is the case for the people of Ute-Ekuku community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
Here, the people live in fear of rainy season and, in fact, pray against it. This is as a result of the devastation rains, through gully, erosion have wrought on the community, destroying several buildings and turning landlords to tenants in other communities.
The impact of the gullies and ensuing erosion whenever it rains has prevented the people from worshipping at the Oba shrine in their community and they are complaining loudly.
Some of the residents who spoke to Daily Sun said the development has forced many landlords to abandon their houses and become tenants in elsewhere, even as the road to the community has become a nightmare whenever it rains.
One of the residents, Christopher Osagiede, said, “The problem we have in this community is erosion and bad road”
According to him, once it rains, nobody can pass the road and flood would ravage peoples’ houses and force them to sleep outdoors.
He said erosion has created deep gullies that have swallowed many structures and houses in the community, adding that the people can no longer worship in the Oba shrine in the community as a result of gullies.
“I operate a bear parlour business but it is no longer thriving because people can’t even cross the road to visit the place once it rains as the erosion is such that a vehicle cannot even pass the road. We are always praying that there should be no rain.
“We have met with the local government chairman but he said the erosion is beyond their power and we are trying to meet the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, so he can come to our aid.”
Osagiede disclosed that the community had to employ some labourers who have been helping them to fill some areas so that the road can be managed once it rains, adding that they pay each labourer N2,500 every day to make the road passable.
On his part, Elder Pullen Izeweko said some landlords have lost their houses to the erosion, while others who have houses close to the gully have relocated to other communities as tenants.
“We are suffering here because of the erosion and once it rains children can’t go to the schools in the community and those that can manage have to make the ‘Israelites journey.’ Workers that reside here are also finding it difficult to go to work once it rains, as the road becomes be impassable.”
He lamented that fish farmers in the area have relocated to other communities as flood has washed their fish ponds and fishes away.
“This road connects Ekiwa, Ugbedu, Ute-Ekuku, Orion, Ihowo, Igwosagie, Eren, Ahona and Ute communities. We are appealing to the state government to come to our aid so that we can be happy in the village,” Izeweko said.
He appealled to the Edo State government to come to the aid of the community by addressing road and erosion problems in the area urgently.
Other residents also called on the the state government to rescue the community and save it from extinction.