Residents of Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have called on the state government to complete the Sacamori drainage project, which commenced six weeks ago.
They said the call became necessary to check flooding and its negative effects on their social and economic life, following the blockage of the drainage.
They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday at Okpoko, seven kilometres from the commercial city of Onitsha.
A resident of Udeaja Street, Anayo Oduoha, who described the rainy season as the worst period for residents of the area, said many buildings in the area had been submerged by flood.
Oduoha blamed the situation on the non-completion of the opening up of the Sacamori drainage by the state government.
Oduoha said: “Sacamori is our major problem; we always beg the government to help us, during the rainy season, by dredging the drain for water to flow.
“Sometimes ago, government brought heavy equipment but work had since stopped.”
A petty trader, Rebecca Kpalom, said she always scoops water from her home each time it rained, saying that the flood always overflow into her bedrooms.
Kpalom said: “The children and I are tired of having to pack water out of the bedroom each time it rains.”
Another petty trader, Ifeoma Okeke, said the economic activities in the area had reduced due to the poor sanitary condition of the environment and destruction done to wares by flood.
According to Okeke, the problem is not just the flood, but that the roads are also not passable.
Friday Nwankwo, another resident of the area, said the area lacked access road, power supply and poor drainage.
Nwankwo said: “Even my wife, who delivered a baby, four weeks ago, could not gain access to our house because of the flood.
“This is in spite of the fact that we manage the situation with sand in bags.”
He expressed worry about the danger posed by epidemic outbreak due to the poor environmental hygiene in the area.
However, the President-General of Okpoko community, Linus Ezenwamma, blamed the situation on the refusal of residents to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains.
Ezenwamma said: “Our people have formed the habit of dumping refuse into the drain in spite of arrangements to collect refuse by contractors.
“These things constitute the blockage of the drainage and sometimes when it rains, heavy flood carries the water and refuse into parts of the community.”
The president-general commended Governor Willie Obiano for commencing the opening up of the drainage.
According to him, though the Sacamori drainage project is that of the Federal Government, the state government finds it pertinent to give Okpoko people respite.
He explained that Ndida Well, Obolo Ukwu, Ede road junction and Ik Onuorah Street as well as Ideaja Street, off Ogboagu areas were usually affected by the flood.
He noted: “We are still urging the governor to allow the contractors to continue work because more rains are coming.”
He said the leadership of the community planned to set up a task force to monitor and checkmate dumping of refuse into the drainage.
Obiano on August 7 inaugurated the opening up drainage, blocked by both solid and liquid waste in Okpoko, with a promise to make the state the cleanest in the country.
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