Edo
State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has ordered the immediate
release of N100 million to provide relief materials to victims of the
flood-ravaged communities in Etsako Central, Etsako East, and Esan
South East Local Government Areas of the state. He also assured that
government will look for a long-term solution to avoid a re-occurrence
in the future just as he said Government will liaise with the Federal
Government to get relief for the displaced persons.
The
governor who visited the displaced persons and the flooded communities
said the natural disaster caused by the overflowing of the River Niger
has led to the loss of property worth billions of naira in the state.
"What has happened is an act of God and no one can challenge the will of
God. In other parts of the country, we have heard of the loss of lives,
but so far we have not recorded any death. Let us pray that the river
goes back to its boundary," the governor noted.
According to
him, "as a government we will try as much as possible to reduce the
hardship suffered by the people by providing relief materials. What we
cannot change we will bear it. President Goodluck Jonathan and the
Federal Government are concerned about this calamity."
Comrade
Oshiomhole who flew in an helicopter and also rode in a canoe to get to
the affected communities to see for himself the extent of damage done by
the flood, admonished them to remain faithful that the calamity will
soon be over to enable them return to their father land. "We are sending
relief materials which must be shared to everybody irrespective of
which political party they belong to, and doctors will be sent to treat
those who are sick. We are also sending the Comrade Buses to evacuate
those still in the flooded communities to the camps" he added.
The
ravaging flood which has taken over twenty communities with a
population of over 500,000 persons, destroyed virtually everything in
the affected areas including, buildings, house hold properties and food
crops in their farmlands. At the Ekperi Grammar School, Ugbekpe
Ekperi, there were over 60, 000 refugees from Yuluwa village, Ofukpo,
Agbabu, Iguzi-Ofukpe, Udaba, Unudoboh, Udaba-Ogho, Anegette all in
Etsako Central.
The palace of the Daudu of Usumegbe, Chief John
Musa and that of the village head of Udaba Chief David Inetape are among
the buildings that have been submerged in the flood. In Agenebode,
the headquarters of Etsako East Local Government area and its
surrounding villages have also been taken over by the flood, while
Ilushi, Urho, Urhowa and Inyelen in Esan South East Local Government
Area have completely been destroyed by the flood with the entire people
moved to Ubiaja the council headquarters.
Narrating his
ordeal, one of the affected persons Alhaji Sedenu Mohammed said he fled
his Udochi community with his two wives and seven children without
salvaging even a pin from his house, saying he was only lucky to move
his family away from the ravaging flood which he said took them
unawares. Meanwhile, public-spirited individuals have started sending
relief materials to the displaced persons to ameliorate their plight.



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