‘Flood Bringing Corpses Of Unidentified People Into Our Community’ — Victims Lament Slow Government Intervention

Residents of Ihuike in Ahoada East Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have decried the slow intervention of the Federal and State Governments in providing relief materials to them following their displacement by the flood.

The residents, currently taking refuge in an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp in Edeoho town of the state, said they need basic materials for survival.

A video made available to THE WHISTLER showed a large number of women and children, many sitting on the chairs in a classroom being used as an IDP camp, some lying on the small size available mattresses and others on the concrete floor.

Some of them had only managed to take a few cooking materials and personal belongings that could only last them for a few days.

The displaced residents who have stayed at the camp for nearly three weeks called on the Federal Government to provide medical services owing to their living conditions. THE WHISTLER learnt that only children use the mattress while the adults sleep on the concrete floor, which is affecting their health.

“We need the doctors to check us, we don’t sleep well and that is our problem. We want them to bring medical doctors because the mosquitoes are disturbing us and we are cold,” one of the displaced women said.

Sheikh Abdulrazak, a climate Justice Activist and resident of the community, told this newspaper that the flood had not only displaced residents but washed the corpses of unidentified people into the community, noting that the government’s response to the situation is not encouraging.

While responding to questions on the effect of the flood, Abdulrazak said, “What about the humans who are displaced in their various communities and farms, and provisions of relief materials in terms of palliative to the victims?

“The government concerns and response have not been encouraging in these areas. Their interventions are slow and what we need is quick intervention when issues like this, which poses threat to the security and lives of properties occur. The government have not been able to act fast”.

Speaking further, he acknowledged that although the flood is receding, residents would not forget how the flood swept vehicles, and flying boats and washed unidentified corpses into the community.

“It was difficult to identify who is who, because of the way the water washed human beings and other property including the earth,” he said while pointing at the damaged East-West road that connects commuters intending to travel to other oil-producing states.

THE WHISTLER had reported the effect of the flood on the East-West Road, including the displacement of the residents of Ahoada LGA of the state. Many of them were also confirmed to have died after the natural disasters swept off their homes.

Abdulrazak noted that the major road is entirely damaged as the flood had destroyed the bridge. He blamed the government for not learning from the experience of the flood disaster in 2012.

“Government policy on flood and erosion and hydro resources control should be given a human face because we didn’t learn lessons from the past.

“In 2012, the same thing happened, a devastating flood of this nature occurred, and that would have been a benchmark for us to prepare and plan, in terms of safety response. Engineering standards are not followed. If they are followed you won’t see the road failing,” he added.

The flood has affected more than three million people across the country with at least 600 reported to have lost their lives and 1.5 million Nigerians displaced from their homes.