Flood: Delta community seeks gov’s intervention as 2, 000 flee homes
The people of Gbekebor town in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, on Wednesday, sought Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s intervention as a matter of urgency to come to their rescue to salvage them from the rampaging flood which has reportedly devastated over 200 households and inflicted untold hardship on the people of the coastal town.
According to a source in the community who simply gave his name as Cyprian, a respected figure in the community said that the annual flooding of the Forcados River constituted a serious threat to the existence of the community, as it is situated along the River Forcados flat, which is on the direct current of the river, stressing that this year’s flood had become one of the worst disasters as many had already been rendered homeless.
He said socio-economic activities in the town had been brought to a halt and property worth over N120 million destroyed, stressing that all educational activities suspended as school buildings have been submerged. He further noted that there was a widespread outcry in the community as at the time of fielding questions from journalists.
Mr. Cyprian on behalf of the community appealed to the authorities concerned, especially to the state government, Federal Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) to come to their aid without delay, stressing that flood issues have been rampant in the community.
