Four communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State have cried out to the State and Federal Governments to come to their aid, as floods washed away their sources of livelihood and homes; the four communities affected are Mpu, Okpanku, Ndiabor, and Oduma.
The flood began to build up starting Sunday, September 20, but escalated during the week due to heavy rainfall, submerging parts of Afor Okpanku, Ivo Bridge, and adjoining roads.
Over 10 houses reportedly collapsed on Tuesday while rice, yam, and cassava farms were washed away by the rising waters.
The Councilor representing Mpu Ward, Hon. Edwin Ogbuka, described the situation as life-threatening, saying several houses and farmlands were affected.
Ogbuka, who called for urgent government intervention, attributed the flooding to water overflowing from the abandoned Ivo Dam project.
A community leader in Mpu, Mr. Chukwu Magnus Dele, said six villages in the community had been affected, with displaced residents taking refuge at Amachalla Town School.
He appealed to the government and relevant emergency agencies to urgently provide relief materials and other assistance to the victims.
Similarly, the Youth Leader of Okpanku, Mr. George Ahaefuna, described the disaster as unprecedented.
“Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have labored for this year.
“It has destroyed our crops, rice, and yam farms worth millions of naira. I am appealing to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government, NEMA, and SEMA to come to our aid,” he said.
A shop owner at Afor Okpanku Market, Mrs Patricia Chukwu, said goods worth millions of naira had remained submerged for two days.
“This development is devastating. This is the worst flood to affect Okpanku in my generation.
“If you go inside the villages, you will see houses destroyed by the flood. I urge the government, spirited individuals, the Senator representing Enugu West, the House of Representatives member, the local government chairman, and the House of Assembly member to assist those whose houses were destroyed to rebuild them so they can return home,” she said.
Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, expressed concern over the natural disaster, saying flooding occurs twice yearly in some parts of the area due to the uncompleted Ivo Dam project.
“I felt sad the moment I heard about the incident. Most communities in Aninri have been submerged by flooding, such as Okpanku, Mpu, Uhuezeoke in Ndiabor, and parts of Ezineshi in Oduma.
“Crops, houses, and businesses were destroyed. We are assessing the situation to know the level of damage this has caused,” he said.
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