No fewer than 22 families have been sacked by flood triggered by torrential rains in Duruaku village, Okponaakuma community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.
This is in addition to a poor widow, with six little children, whose house was pulled down after it was submerged by the flood, as well as an agroallied industry, Turnky Sevirg, which was equally submerged, following the pulling down of its fences, while properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed.
It was gathered that during the one week rainfall towards the end of last month, August, the flood invaded St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, homes, destroying appliances, public utilities and farm crops being harvested by the flood.
When 247ureports.com visited the community recently, they were faced with a worst scenario where latrines, especially pit toilets within the affected village, were forced open, allowing the excreta to flow into people’s houses and into wells or water reservoir meant to preserve drinking water.
The community, 247ureports.com learnt, had been under serious siege of flood for a long time, but the situation became worse since Governor Rochas Okorocha tore up roads without constructing them in the area.
The situation became even more deplorable with the construction of sports stadium along Orlu/Owerri Expressway without flood or erosion control measure.
The displaced villagers who are still staying in the affected area, appealed to the state government to come to their aid.
Narrating her ordeal to our reporter amidst tears, the poor widow whose house was pulled down, Mrs. Nkechinyere Okorom said she and her children had been sleeping in people’s houses since the disaster occurred.
She added that what was more painful was that her house fell under the pressure of the flood water for the second time after the villagers had contributed blocks and cement to rebuild it.
Also speaking, the manager of Turnky Sevirg Agroallied Mills Limited, Mr. James Ogo, said the flood invaded the company on two consecutive occasions and destroyed a lot of things in the process.
He said the magnitude of the damages had affected take-off of production. He appealed to the state government to come to their aid by controlling the flood to enable the company start production.
When contacted, the traditional ruler of Okponakuma community, Eze Vincent Duru, lamented that the flood had caused him sleepless nights because “anytime it rains, my mind goes straight to the whole village of Duruaku and the industry. I remember the people who would be rushing out from their homes seeking refuge outside.
“As it keeps raining, more buildings are falling. As you try to rebuild, the flood comes with force and pull them down.
“Like that widow widow, when that house fell, the community contributed blocks to rebuild it but it had to fall a second time when the flood submerged the entire place. It’s really pathetic”.
The royal father lamented that despite all his cries in the media, no government official had come to the aid of his people, appealing to the state government to help them.
