Flood Disaster: Burutu Communities Submerged By Flood, Cries For Help, As Activist Ekpegha Preye Calls On Delta State Government lmmediate Intervention

Flood Disaster: Burutu Communities Submerged By Flood, Cries For Help, As Activist Ekpegha Preye Calls On Delta State Government lmmediate Intervention

Justice Tam

Burutu_____The National Deputy President of Concerned Citizens For Izon-Ebe Development (CCFID), Comr.Ekpegha Tamaraupreye has called on the governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Sen  Dr.Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to intervene immediately in order to save the lives of riverine dwellers from the ravaging flood across the state. Comr Ekpegha disclosed that the State Emergency Operation Centre has been activated as the state was already experiencing flood emergency as a result of river flooding, noting that over twenty Communities in Burutu local government area in Delta State have been submerged by the so called flood.

Comr.Ekpegha who is also an activist in the Niger Delta Struggle, speaking to journalists on the 30th September, 2019 in Ayakoromo alleged that more than twenty communities in Burutu,Bomadi,Patani, Warri south and North in Delta State were severely affected.

According to Comrade Ekpegha, said; " communities, villages and schools that are severely affected includes; Ayakoromo community, Ebeingbene, Ojojogbene, Sunday Gbene, Bobogbene, Gbekobo, Newtown, Akparemogbene, Ogbeingbene, Ofenibagha among others. The activist reiterated that over 70 percent of Ayakoromo communities have been submerged by flood.

Speaking further, he said in the last few days, many communities, settlements have been displaced as a result of flooding. Flood threat in Delta State and Nigeria as a whole have become a normal and re-occurring phenomenon which sometimes has devastating impacts on human livelihood and infrastructural development."

He stressed that causes of this problem are, poor drainage facilities and decaying infrastructures, lack of proper environmental planning and management strategies, poor practice of dumping waste/refuse and climate change coupled with inadequate preparedness have been traced and among others, human activities in terms of developmental involvements adjudged to be very important factors in accelerating the rate of this disaster which often leaves in its wake spread of diseases, loss of thousands of lives from various parts of the state and properties worth billions of naira being destroyed. The impacts of floods are more pronounced in low-lying areas.

It is high time the government recognised flooding as a real - time problem especially, in the face of global climate change. The ecological funds should therefore be used to protect the citizenry from floods and environmental challenges.

As a matter of urgency, am calling on the state governor Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa and the legislators representing the coastal region to sponsor bills containing the permanent creation Camps, with yearly budget to rehabilitate flood displaced victims. Design flood displaced camps and financial support to them, relief materials should be made available and other measures to control the threatening flood situation now before its cause more damage. Because affected individuals need food, shelter assistance, provision of health services, drinking water and access to clean toilets.

He further advised those living in flood-prone and affected communities to relocate to safer locations or move to the nearest camps which had been opened by the state in different local government area's, in order to avoid loss of lives and property, the statement adds.