About five hundred indigenes of Agbaja, okwoko and Ukwa communities in Nkporo, Ohafia LGA of Abia State have been displaced by devastating flooding that sacked the communities, last week. The flooding followed heavy downpour which pounded the communities last Thursday and Friday.
It was learnt that the incident was caused by overflowing of the bank of a river in Nkporo known as Mmiri Iroyi, which eventually surged into villages and wrecked havoc on houses and livestock.
Consequently, about 85 houses were affected by the floods, forcing the occupants to relocate to community halls or other places for refuge.
Though no human life was lost, many livestock including goats, chickens, poultry farms, farm crops, palm oil mill all valued at millions of naira were destroyed, with only few property retrieved by the unfortunate indigenes.
Many of the victims who are presently taking refuge at a community hall and a church compound, recalled how all they laboured for in life had been wiped out by the flood under 24 hours.
Two victims, Mrs Enyidiya Ama and Mr Uka Ojingwa Uguru appealed to Abia State government and private individuals to assist them with finances and donation of foods, clots and beddings.
Also, a chicken poultry farmer, who simply identified herself herself as Mama Mgbeoji lamented that the business she took a soft loan to start, was destroyed by floodings, crying that it would be hard to repay her loan to a corporative society she sourced it from.
Speaking on the disaster, the Community Head (Ezeogo Ukwa Nkporo), Chief Mba Nkuma cried out that his people have been rendered homeless by the painful occurrence. The Ezeogo begged the Abia State government, corporate organisations, churches and notable individuals to assist his people and those in other affected Nkporo communities.
“Our people are staying and sleeping at community hall now because they have nowhere to go again, as their houses are presently covered by water. They are hungry, sick, depressed and have also lost most crops and livestock which got damaged by flood.”
“My community and all communities affected by this environmental crises are calling on the federal and State government, churches, organisations and rich individuals to come to assist us, especially those whose houses were either flooded or partly pulled down by flood”, Chief Nkuma appealed.
When contacted, the executive secretary of Abia State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Sunny Jackson described the flood incident as a devastating blow to the Nkporo villages and promised to consult with different government agencies to assist the victims. Jackson, who pointed out that Abia was among the States projected to suffer from flooding in 2022, according to forecast by a federal government agency, advised Nkporo natives who still live close to river banks to relocate to safer areas, to avoid falling victims to more flooding in 2022 or in the future.
