The flood took over many parts of Makurdi
A
widow who was devastatingly affected by the ravaging floods in Benue
State, opened up on how she lost all she has laboured for.
Last week, the residents of Makurdi in Benue State were horrified
when for three consecutive days (72 hours) the heavens opened up
intermittently on the city, and what was expected to be showers of
blessing for inhabitants of the sprawling city turned out to be a bitter
experience.
The ensuing flood took everyone by storm.
121,000 persons were sacked from their homes while close to 4,000 houses were reportedly submerged in water.
According to a Vanguard report, being the worst since the 2012
River Benue surge, the flood like a thief in the night, swept away
hundreds of millions of Naira worth of property and valuables of
helpless residents.
Though no deaths were reported, the flood left in its wake pains as
many of the affected persons lost virtually all it took years to
acquire.
The storm also washed away roads and drainages in several
communities and settlements thus cutting off many inhabitants from the
main town.
Bridges and culverts were not spared in the worst hit areas..
The areas include Idye, Achusa, Logo, Wadata, Kucha Utebe, Genabe,
Behind Civil Service Commission, Nyiman Layout, Uniagric Community,
Behind Bem Hotel, Katungu, Aboughoul Wadata, Moon Community, Behind GTB
and Demekpe.
Others are Wadata Old Prison, Breweries, Gyado Villa, New Kanshio
Layout, Wurukum Market, Mobile Barracks, Welfare and BIPC Quarters.
The rich and the poor, the high and mighty suffered the same fate
and were suddenly brought together on the same pedestal by fate and
obviously left to ponder over a helpless situation.
The effect is the sight of families moving household items and
valuables in the streets of Makurdi and searching for a safe haven and
emergency shelter.
Speaking on his experience, a resident of Nyiman Layout and father
of four, John Terngu, who claimed to have lost property to the flood,
said that apart from being a natural disaster, the tragedy was made
worse by blocked drainages and buildings erected on water channels.
“Our people just built houses in areas that should be channels
for excess water to flow to River Benue. So we are paying the price for
their wrong and the negligence of the authorities who are supposed to
ensure that buildings are properly located, Terngu said.
A widow at the BIPC Quarters, Mrs. Rosemary Ocheme, said she ran
after it became impossible to divert the flow of flood water that
submerged her house.
“It has been a sad experience for most of us living on this
axis, including those in connecting settlements like Mobile Barracks,
Achusa Nyima up to Wurukum area, it’s been sad tales”, she told Sunday Vanguard.
“They say we are all living on floodplain or FADAMA but the
problem was made worse by the people who, on their own volition, chose
to flout government directives. Given the situation at hand, government
must take urgent steps to solve this problem before the entire Makurdi
goes under water.”
Speaking on the issue, the state Commissioner for Water Resources
and Environment, Dr. Terlumun Utsev, said, “We were actually aware that
there would be flooding but it was the magnitude that we did not know.
“The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had sent early warning and,
with the rise in the river level, coupled with the poor drainage
maintenance culture, we were left to battle this situation.
“Though we had before now sent out warning, people took it for
granted and failed to abide by the instructions government issued.”
Utsev said the state government had taken steps to open up
drainages and construct new ones in and around the state capital to
mitigate the effect of the flood.
“Besides, for those who lost property and valuables to the
flood, our governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency,
SEMA, to liaise with relevant agencies to support them.
“On our part as a ministry, we have written to the Federal
Government to come to our aid because Benue was not included in the
initial money that was released to states for ecological and flood
related problems.
“But it is now obvious that the situation at hand at the moment is far beyond what the state government can undertake.”
Meanwhile, after an on-the-spot assessment of the devastation in
and around Makurdi, Governor Samuel Ortom, who expressed shock at what
he saw, called for an urgent intervention by the Federal Government to
tackle the issue.
The governor said the state government would embark on mass
demolition of buildings and structures erected on waterways and
floodplains in and around the town to check a reoccurrence.
He said as a temporary measure, government would deploy earth
moving equipment to create drainage channels in the devastated areas in
order to open up flow parts for the flood.
He said, “We do not have a choice but to embark on demolition
of structures and buildings on waterways and drainages if this matter
must be addressed appropriately so that people do not continue to suffer
in this manner every year. You can see that what we are confronted with
presently is far more than what happened in the past.
“And given the magnitude of the situation at hand we call on
the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the problem because the
flood has rendered many residents of Makurdi homeless.”
Lamenting further, Ortom said the problem came at the time his
administration was facing the challenge of salary payment. He advised
those living on flood prone areas across the state to relocate
immediately.
He also directed the State Emergency Management Agency to liaise
with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, for the purpose of
assisting the displaced persons.
The governor specifically requested the Federal Government to consider the release of ecological funds to Benue, saying “if urgent steps were not taken, we might have a repeat of the sad experience of 2012.”
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