The Oasis Reporters

October 10, 2022

 

Ndokwa East Local Government Area in Oil rich Delta State is currently submerged in water. Very few spots have little land above flood level and the distraught villages huddle there, waiting for government’s intervention through evacuations, yet none seems forthcoming.

The state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is currently busy making preparations for the Atiku Abubakar presidential mega political rally in Uyo, because he is the Vice presidential running mate, right after ditching the entire Southern Governors Forum meeting’s unanimous decision that presidential power must shift to the South having been in the north for 8 years, come 2023.

Curiously, Okowa hosted the meeting in Asaba, the capital city of Delta State. Yet he quickly abandoned their own decision as soon as Atiku announced his name as Vice presidential running mate.

How Atiku managed to convince Okowa to ditch the resolution of all the Southern Governors and loyally line up behind him, another northern Fulani like Buhari the current president, remains the stuff of legendary discourse in shops located in Delta State.



Meanwhile, the only Oil producing local government in Delta East Senatorial District remains submerged in flood water with no relief materials, no Internally Displaced People’s Camp (IDP) in Ndokwa East.



“Our people have been abandoned by the government”, cried Otunuya to The Oasis Reporters office in Warri where he half swam, half walked before getting to land in order to board a vehicle to Warri, just to let the world know about the plight of his people.

“There are currently no GSM telephone services in the area as the base stations have run out of diesel to power the network”, he continued.

“Many people are currently sleeping on tree tops in hunger, praying for the flood to subside. All our cassava farms are submerged in water, so we may have to face the prospect of hunger even after the floods subside unless Ndokwa East children living abroad send us stipends for us to stave off starvation because the Okowa government may not remember to help us”, he further wailed.




The beleaguered local government chairman, sadly said that “within the last few days, we have recorded two deaths as a result of the floods in our LGA. One of them is a lady in her 40s from ward 5 (Akarai to be specific) while the other one is a young boy from Otuoku community in ward 6. We commiserate with the families as we commit the Souls of the departed to the hands of God. May their souls rest in perfect peace, Amen!”.

Ndokwa East is the most marginalized local government in Delta State and it is oil producing. In terms of political configuration, the first time in it’s history that they are being considered worthy of attention was when Deacon Ken Pela, Labour Party gubernatorial candidate chose an Ndokwa East daughter, Prof. (Mrs) Julie Nwabogo Umukoro as the deputy governorship candidate on the party’s ticket.

It was Olusegun Obasanjo as president who insisted on using the open gas being flared in the local government at a village some 40km to Kwale, headquarters of Ndokwa West LGA.





NO IDP CAMP, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL HAS BEEN ABANDONED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT.


NDOKWA EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA (NELGA) PRESS RELEASE OF SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9TH 2022
RE: UPDATE ON THE PREVAILING FLOOD SITUATION

1. Good Morning and Happy Sunday to all the good people of NELGA, Friends and Well-Wishers.

2. It is with a heavy heart that we bring you this updates from the office of the Executive Chairman of Ndokwa East LGA, Aboh, Delta State Nigeria.

3. Within the last few days, we have recorded two deaths as a result of the floods in our LGA. One of them is a lady in her 40s from ward 5 (Akarai to be specific) while the other one is a young boy from Otuoku community in ward 6. We commiserate with the families as we commit the Souls of the departed to the hands of God. May their soul rest in perfect peace, Amen!

4. Yesterday, the flood committee members met with the Council Chairman to review the reports of the LGA-wide flood impact evaluation and to develop a forward plan. After briefing the committee members of the meeting held with the Elders Advisory Council and some Well-Meaning leaders of the LGA about the flood situation and the resolutions reach, the various committees gave their reports.

5. EXTENT OF THE IMPACTS ON THE WARDS AND COMMUNITIES

i. In Ward 1 comprising Umu Osimili Ossissa, Umuleke Ossisa, Umu Eze Ossisa, Olao Ossisa, Umu Uno and Umu Okolo, their entire farm lands have been flooded while about 20 % of the communities have been covered by flood displacing ninety five (95) households.

ii. In Ward 2 comprising Afor Umuachi, Iselegu, Obikwele, Afor Ogbedigbo, Afor Okolori, Afor Obetim, Afor Umuachi Ogo, Afor Ogbeti also had all their farmlands taken over by the floods with about 40 % of the communities have been covered by flood displacing a hundred and six (106) households.

iii. Ward 3 comprises of Aballa Osimili, Aballa Obodo, Aballa Uno, Inyi and Onuabor. While has all their farmlands has been covered by the floods, the communities are totally displaced rendering ive hundred and fifty eight (558) households homeless.

iv. Ward 4 is made up of Okpai, Beneku and Utchi clans. All the farmlands in the ward are now covered by the floods while the communities are totally displaced rendering over four hundred and fifty nine (459) households displaced.

v. Ward 5 is made up of Aboh, Umuti, Afiankwor, Okpokirika Ozizor, Akarai Etiti and Akarai Obodo. The ward has all their farmlands covered by the floods while the communities are totally displaced rendering three hundred and forty two (342) households displaced.

vi. Ward 6 is made up of Umuolu, Okpokilika, Adiai’Obi Aka. Onyah, Owuriobia, Warri Irri and Otuoku. The ward farmlands have been submerged by the floods while the communities are totally displaced rendering three hundred and twenty five (325) households displaced.

vii. Ward 7 comprises of Ase, Asaba Ase, Iwene, Ogbokor, Ekeregbesi, Egbeme Ase, and Anam Camp. All farmlands in this ward has also been taken over by floods and about 60% of the communities flooded thereby rendering three hundred and thirteen (313) households homeless.

viii. Ward 8 is made up of Ibedeni, Azagba, Ekpe, Okorafor Community and Osafu. All farmlands in the ward has also been covered by floods and about 70% of the communities flooded thereby rendering three hundred and sixty five (365) households homeless.

ix. Ward 9 comprises of Ibrede, Igbuku, Iyede Ame, Lagos Iyede, Awah, Onogbokor and Anyama. All farmlands in this ward have been taken over by the floods, 80% of the communities displace and four hundred and twelve (412) households rendered homeless.

x. Ward 10 is made up of Ashaka, Ushie, Ugute, Egwede, Asaba Ashaka, Obi Ivi, Ogbarude, Obi Ujene and Aballam. All farmlands in the ward have been displaced by the floods with 50% of the communities covered by water and Two hundred and Eighty five (285) households also displaced.

6. NEEDS ASSESSMENT

a. Few persons across the LGA have relocated from their communities to relatives and friends in unaffected towns and cities. These persons were evacuated through self-efforts, community efforts and few cases of Council assisted evacuation.

b. Majority of the communities inhabitants declined from being evacuated because of the following reasons:
i. Harvesting farm produce and managing to secure them for tomorrow’s sake, especially cassava, yams, plantains vegetables etc.

ii. Protecting their properties which are often suspended on makeshift temporary suspension racks in their communities.

iii. Some have no place to relocate to since IDP camps are not set up in the LGA. The state made an attempt to set up IDP in Ashaka two days ago but flood took over the Ashaka Skill Acquisition Center that was earmarked as NELGA IDP camp. Consequently, the setting up of an IDP camp in NELGA was put on hold.



iv. Some would have relocated to other IDP camps in Kwale, Oleh or Ozoro but accounts of the suffering endured during previous years flooding in ISP camps discouraged them from going to any of these camps.



v. Some persons felt that it is too late to relocate having endured the hardship for over three weeks into the floods before the setting up of camps was considered.



vi. Availability of safe havens where few families can cluster in, especially storey buildings both completed and uncompleted as well as some micro islands in some communities.



vii. Some people just resigned to their fate and have no confidence in the Government because according to them, it has become an annual occurrence and it is only when the impact is felt in some “Special” areas that flood is given attention; forgetting that NELGA suffers floods on an annual basis.



c. The committees identified some key needs by those left in the flooded communities as follows:
i. Foodstuff
ii. Mosquito Nets
iii. Portable Water (Sachets or bottled)
iv. Toiletries (Soaps, Detergents etc.
v. Medications, especially malaria and pain relievers.



7. Resolutions from the meeting:
a. The resolutions of the earlier meeting with the NELGA Elders Advisory Council and Well-Meaning Leaders were adopted.



b. Ware house was volunteered by one of the councilors for storing any donated item as well as warehousing NELGA displaced person’s properties



c. Donors to be managed to ensure that whatever comes is evenly distributed without sentiments across the LGA instead of selected areas.



d. No discrimination will be condoned, especially ensuring that whatever is available for distribution must cut across the LGA with no political party leanings.

e. Each members of the committee to liaise with their Traditional Rulers, President Generals, Community Chairman, Community Leaders, Sons and Daughters of the NELGA extraction as well as well-wishers of their various wards to assist the Council, especially in the item 6 sub bullet “C” above as the Council cannot do it all alone.




f. Everyone is encouraged to assist the Council to reach out to State, Federal Government and their Agencies as well as NGOs and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of our NELGA people in this trying period.



8. The NELGA Flood Committee Meetings will be held every three days to review the status across the LGA and update our plans and programs as far as the flooding situation is concerned.



9. Once again, the key contacts of the NELGA Flood Committee are as follows:



i. Team One (Ward 1, 2 and 3): Austin Azubike Ugbomah (08037215917)

ii. Team Two (Ward 4, 5 and 6): Hon. Okwuwa Ezechi (08065457004)

iii. Team Three (Ward 7, 8 and Nine): Hon. Felix Edemenya (08032902229)

iv. Elders Advisory Council Secretary: Albert Iyiacha (08032350166)

v. Secretary to Well-Meaning Leaders: Hon. Chika Ossai (08035422645)



Kindly refer all concerns, enquiries, suggestions and information regarding each ward to the committees for necessary action and follow up.



10. We will continue to encourage our people to unswervingly adhere to all water travel safety measures; Avoid overloading; ensure you use life jacket during travel period; Avoid low spots, like ditches, basements, or underpasses; Do not walk through flooded areas; If you have to walk in water, wherever possible, walk where the water is not moving; Do not drive into flooded areas; Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water; Know the weather; Let your people know about any trip you are embarking on, before your journey, during the trip and post arrival. Put Safety First, After God in all you do now and going forward.



11. We wish to reassure all of us that as a Local Government Council, in conjunction with the NELGA Flood committee members, the well-meaning Leaders and the Elders Advisory Council, we will continue to put in our best, irrespective of the prevailing situation by doing everything possible to help our people stay safe while we encourage everyone to remain calm and stay safe.



12. As always emphasized in all our press releases, this too like every other phase shall pass away and by the Grace of God and we will celebrate the post the flood season in thanksgiving to God Almighty.



13. As promised, we will continue to stay in touch at all times and bring you updates as far as the flood situation is concerned. Here’s wishing you all the best today and always IJN, Amen! We thank you all for your prayers, support cooperation and commitment. Please stay Safe and Remain ever blessed!


Signed:
Juan Amechee Governor.
Ndokwa East LGA Chairman.


Written by Greg Abolo
gregabolo@gmail.com

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