Road Construction: Rivers community wants FG to intervene in devastating flood challenge

The people of Rumueleze community in Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the President Bola Tinubu’s led government to come to their rescue, following a devastating flood incidents that have sacked majority of the residents and companies in the area.

The community specifically called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi to visit the community and understand how the construction of the federal road which was meant for good has turned to a serious challenge to the community.

The people lamented during a peaceful protest yesterday, along Port Harcourt – Aba road in the state.

Expressing their grieves, the community people lamented that they are yet to recover from the flood which occured last year, pleading that government should intervene before the raining season fully commenced.

According to the Indigenes of the community claimed that the flood was orchestrated by wrong drainages allegedly constructed, by a Chinese indigenous contractor ‘CCECC’, constructing the Port Harcourt – Aba section of the Port Harcourt – Enugu road, within the community.

Speaking with The Nigerian Xpress, the people said reason they have the consistent flood incident in the community, is because of the shallow borrow pit dug in the area. They claimed that when the pit fulls, the flood gathered from other neighbouring communities and towns will flow back into Rumueleze community, thereby killing all their crops and damaging structures erected in the area.

A Chief in the area  who gave his name as, Chief Morgan Amadi-Wordi, said the companies operating in the area have threatened to sack their youths if the issue of flood is not tackled.

Chief Amadi-Wordi revealed: “Most of the companies operating in this community have dislodge because of the flood. It also affected the youths of the community based on employment. The company operating here said if the host community do not address the issue of flood, then they will not engage indigenes of the community on employment.

“The flood has caused infrastructure deficit in the area. We as members of the community cannot access our farmlands because of the effects of the flood. During raining period, the flood swept all our crops away”.

He explained that “The flood incident is caused by the misplacement of drainages by the CCECC company constructing the Port Harcourt – Aba section of the Port Harcourt- Enugu Road road. During the laying of the drainages, the firm provided a shallow artificial carnal where flood was supposed to move from the area and directly to the spot.

“But the drainage is not a normal one. So we are making an urgent call to the federal government to come and see what the company have done and provide immediate solution that will salvage this community of the effects of flood that returns back from the carnal when there is heavy downpour”, he pleaded.

On his part, the Youth Secretary of the community, Njor Ifeanyi expressed sadness that youths from the community are losing their jobs as the operating companies in the area are moving elsewhere because of the disastrous flood.

“We are in a very serious situation right now. Flood is not an incident that one should overlook, because it causes alot of damage. Why we are here is because of the damage it has caused. The people resident here have left, companies are also leaving and some of our youths are also losing their jobs.”

He continued “We as youths of Rumueleze community are calling on the Chinese company that did the job to revisit the drainage and see how to chanel the water properly. The borrow pit which the water is going in, is shallow and that is where the problem is originating from. So, if they can open it more, the water will have proper flow.

“We are making the call, so the company can take action before the rain starts again. We all know how Rivers State is during the raining season”, he added.

Meanwhile, a native of the community, Oscar Jamike- Wordi, who claimed that he lost his job as a result of the effects of the flood, lamented “I lost my job because of flood and everyday our youths lost job because of effect of the flood. I am a father of six children, including me and my wife, we are a family of eight. Now I cannot be able to feed myself because of flood.

“Some of the companies have closed down, we have lost our jobs. We are crying to the Federal Ministry of Works to intervene. We are law abiding people and wouldn’t want to go bad because of hardship caused by the flood effects. I am a graduate but I am labourer, yet i have been sacked because the company is planning to leave the area as a result of the flood incident”.