THE River Niger has overflowed its bank submerging hectares of farmlands in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State
The Transition Chairman of Ogbaru Council, Comrade Arinze Awogu told newsmen that more than 150 households with no fewer than 1000 persons have been forced to leave their homes due to steady rise of in water level.
Ogbaru is a Local Government Area with all its 16 communities on the bank of River Niger, making it susceptible to flooding in the State.
During the 2018 flood, 12 persons were drowned in Ogbaru alone among other ravaging effects including destruction of property and farmlands.
He said the displaced persons have moved to join their relations on the safer side and yet to move into Displaced Persons Holding Camps.
Awogu said the produce of the people have either been washed away as there was no longer free access to the farms.
He stated that those who would not bear the consequential loss have been forced into premature harvesting.
The Transition Chairman said three Holding Camps have been designated in Community Secondary School, Odekpe, Local Government Secretariat Atani and St. James Anglican Church, Iyiowa and that the facilities would be supplied according to the number of people who came to take refuge there.
He urged the people to move into the camps immediately and not wait till the situation becomes worse.
“As I am talking to you, Ogbaru is gradually but steadily going under water, our farms have been submerged especially the root crops and more than 1,000 persons have been displaced from their homes.
“They have joined their families upland, they have refused to go to the Holding Camps.
“You know we are riverine people, our occupation is agriculture, the farm produce of Ogbaru people and those of people who came to farm are being washed away by the flood,” he stated, adding that Atani, Akili-Ozizor, Odekpe, Ohita commutites, have been flooded.
BY SUNNY A. DAVID
