Over 100 Ebonyi flood victims cry for financial assistance, relief materials as NEMA predicts worse situations in some states
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Over 100 farmers in Azoto village in Okpuitumo community, Abakaliki local governmemt area of Ebonyi state are now counting their woes ,over the devastating flood incident that ravaged people and farmlands recently.
The community has been facing flood disaster annually any moment there is a heavy down pour and water overflows Ebonyi and Oto rivers, destroying the farmlands and crops in the area.
A similar disaster was reportedly occurred in some villages in Mbeke Ishieke and Onuenyim Autonomous communities in the Ebonyi local government area and other parts of Ebonyi State.
The farmers who were affected by the flood disasters in the community have called for financial assistance and relief materials from the State and National Emergency Management Agency.
They made the request in their collective letter dated 10th September, 2024 and forwarded it to the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA in Abakaliki.
The letter signed by the Secretary of the Azuoto Village Youth Assembly, Amauche Agbo Agbo described the flood incident as most unfortunate and regrettable considering the fact that such uncanny disaster has not occurred for over three decades.
Agbo urged the state government to provide them with a financial assistance and relief materials to cushion the effects of the flood disasters which occurred between July and September this year.
According to the letter, “the affected farmers are currently facing serious untold hardship and hunger as a result of the disasters.”
The disaster victims including the Azuoto Village Head, Sunday Igwe, Simon Nwogha among others, further appealed for favourable assistance and consideration by the government at all levels, the good-spirited organizations and individuals to alleviate their sufferings.
One of the victims of the flood, Mrs Ngozi Ofoke affirmed that words are not enough to describe the huge damage the flood has caused on the people of Okpuitumo, Abakaliki local government area whose farmlands had been submerged and as such had thrown them into famine.
She charged all the emergency Agencies both in Borno and at the Federal level to work in synergy in order to mitigate the situation and save the situation from further destructions.
