BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, Benin  City
It is not a good moment for residents of Prince Clifford’s Street and other streets off Airport Road Benin City. The reason is that increased flooding in the area as a result of the on-going road construction had caused more devastation rather than relief to the inhabitants of the area.

Several tenants have relocated from the area because flood had taken over their houses destroying properties estimated at several millions of naira. It was a pitiable sight last  week when residents of the area staged a protest to the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Benin City.

Flooded Clifford Street...Residents are appealing to relevant authorities for relief

They narrated that the problem started after the commencement of the road project, particularly the digging of a manhole somewhere around the road, which, according to them, created a passage for the flood to flow  through the entire houses in the area.

They regretted that several efforts made to get the attention of the state government and the contractor handling the project, Servetek Construction Company, proved abortive. Vanguard Metro, VM, observed that fleeing residents of the area relocated to the homes of their relatives, making life very unbearable for them.

Household equipment
The residents in a letter dated June 27, 2011, signed by Messrs Vincent Egharevba, Joseph Ekhator and Felix, on the behalf landlords and landladies in the area, which was addressed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the Managing Director of Servetek Construction Company,  lamented thus:

“We want to formally lodge our complaint about the flooding, destruction of our houses and household equipment as a result of the act of omission or commission of your workers undertaking the construction of Airport Road, by not channelling the water on the said Airport Road which led to the flooding of our houses.

It is pertinent to point out that in our many years of occupying our properties, the level of flooding of our streets we have been experiencing since the rainy season could better be imagined. House hold equipment estimated at over N5million have been destroyed.

That of Felix Edo, a lawyer, is another pathetic case, because apart from his household equipment valued at over N4million, the goods stored in the bungalow in his premises used by his wife as temporary storage before the goods are moved to her shop were destroyed by the flood.

The goods were brought recently from the United States and the estimated value of the goods is over $35,000. And to worsen the matter, the goods were bought on credit.

“Sir, the purpose of this letter is to draw your attention to the urgent need to employ a very holistic measure to prevent a re-occurrence and to save our buildings from imminent collapse in view of the fact that the rains are here as well as to take steps to compensate us for the damage to our structures, household equipment and goods, at least to ameliorate our situation in view of the economic and psychological trauma this unexpected incident has brought upon us”.

Consequently, the state government in a letter dated August 16, 2011, signed by one Engr.R.E.Aghayedo, a Consultant (CE & EM) on behalf of the Commissioner for Works, directed the management of Servetek to urgently carry out remedial solution to the flood problem in the area.

According to the letter addressed to the Managing Director of the Servetek: “ I am further directed to inform you to urgently carry out remedial solution to the flooding problem in order to forestall more damages in the affected streets and environs. Comply with the above directive without delay, please”.

But despite this directive no effort was made to cushion the effects of the flooding by the company. It was learnt that it was due to such outcry by members of the public as regards the pace of work on the Airport Road project, that the state government decided to revoke the contract.

A source from the state government described the performance of the company as an embarrassment to the state government after all the billions expended so far on the road. Work on the road had been stalled so far, causing more pains for the residents of the area. It was learnt that the contract for the road is being reviewed with a view to re-award it to another construction company. Some of the landlords in the area spoke to VM about their predicament.

Mr Vincent Egharevba
I live on Prince Clifford’s Street. What we are suffering today is a man-made erosion created by the construction company  handling the Airport Road. They brought a channel to our street; we told them that it will create problem for us. They said they were going to link it to Ogba River.

The channel now is creating erosion from Oko, Airport Road to that spot. Any time it rains heavily, our houses are flooded. We have been losing properties, we have been complaining, we have written to government and ServTech to come and help us. We have been living here for over 20 years and we have never experienced this type of thing.

So we are calling on the authorities concerned to please help us. Before the road construction there was nothing like erosion here. Each time it rains here now, we won’t sleep in our houses.  If you look at my house now, you will see the level of the water. Properties have been destroyed, books, our electronics have been destroyed.

My tenants are packing out because water was entering the houses. What the construction company has done to us is man’s inhumanity to man. Why will they channel water to our houses? We are sure that government did not hire them to destroy our houses. The entire Prince Clifford, Ogiesonba Avenue and environs made up of several adjoining streets are in a devastated state today.

Joseph Ekhator
The problem is that they dug a big man hole at our junction, so when it fills up, the water will flow into our houses. All our furniture and other personal belongings are destroyed. My properties are all gone and the situation is even threatening our lives here. Each time it rains, we don’t sleep all night; all we do is to keep vigil and if the water becomes heavier we will leave our houses and some times at midnight. We don’t have anything to sleep on now but mats. So we are begging government to find solution to this problem.

Edo Felix
We have never had any erosion problem here until this company started the construction of this road. The last one that happened, I had about 18 people in my house and because we could not find our way out, we have to look for a very big vehicle to evacuate them and as I speak to you now no body is in the house.

We have all moved to a friend’s place. We are using this medium to appeal to the relevant authorities to please come to our aide so that we can return back to our houses. Because as it is now, once it rains everybody is scared. The threat to life that we are experiencing here is so severe that we are calling on the state Governor to please come to our aide.