BY CHARLES ADINGUPU
When God first destroyed the world with water, He saved Noah and his family members who were then, the only righteous man on mother earth.

After that unpleasurable experience, God promised never to destroy the world again with water. As a sign of this covenant, God said the Rainbow will be a sign of His promise.

But for people of Delta State and virtually every where in Nigeria, it is like God has reneged in His promise even though Christians are convinced that “God is not a man that He should lie neither the son of man he should repent.”

The last few days for the “unbelievers”in Delta State may prove the contrary as almost all communities in the state have been thrown into pandemonium occasioned by unprecedented flood which has submerged no fewer than 255 communities including the state capital, Asaba.

A lecturer at the Ogwashi Uku Polytechnic, Mr. Tony John told Saturday Vanguard that the last few days have been worse in the memory of the people in the state as almost all the communities have been adversely  affected by a ravaging flood resulting from the overflow of the River Niger.

According to Mr. John, homes and offices  built at the extreme of Asaba but close to the Niger bridge have been submerged by the flood.

Delta Gov paddles through flooded area in Delta

“I don’t know if you know God is good Motors’ office located before popular Onitsha bridge, houses and offices in that area have been swallowed by water. The Immigration office had been submerged by the flood.

I know some farmers who
obtained loan from banks but today, their farmlands had been overtaken by water. One of them, I was told had committed suicide because he cannot stand the shock,”Tony John told Saturday Vanguard.

Collaborating the teacher’s claim, a resident in Asaba, Mrs Onyia Ogochukwu told Saturday Vanguard that the flood also forced residents of Anwai and other neighbouring outlets out of their homes.

According to Ogochukwu, most popular hotels located adjacent the River Niger were affected by the surging flood in Asaba.

“Already the temporary rehabilitation camp, Saint Patrick College Asaba provided by the state government for affected flood victims has been overcrowded. Besides,  not everybody benefited from the relief materials distributed at the camp. Hence, most people shunned the camp and preferred to take shelter along the Asaba-Onitsha road.

At the moment, most of the affected flood victims have decided to take their destiny into their hands. They built tents along the Asaba-Onitsha. Road. It will not be easy to estimate the cost of property destroyed by the flood. It is an on-going disaster. Everyday, the water level from the Niger keeps rising. Only God knows when it will end.

“The state government have made promises of compensating the affected flood victims, but now,  the government cannot even cater for their immediate needs while they are still at the rehabilitation camp. I wonder what will happen after this whole disaster is over,”Ogochukwu said with a tone of finality.

Also, a member, representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Mr. Ndudi Elemelu while on  an impact assessment of the ravaging flood in Asaba and environs, enjoined the federal government to urgently save the South East from being cut off from other parts of Nigeria.

The lawmaker noted in dismay that the ravaging flood from the River Niger was almost submerging the entry point to Niger-Bridge, adding that the Benin-Asaba highway will soon be submerged.

“They (federal government) should not wait for a repeat of what happened to Lokoja-Abuja road. The threat is real when you consider that the Immigration Office has been submerged and officers cannot access their offices,”he said.

Elumelu, however, urged the federal government to order the Federal Ministry of Works to deploy officers to the affected roads hit by flood in the area.

But for the people of
Ndokwa East, life for them will never be the same as almost all the communities in the local government area have been sacked by the wild flood which took the people unawares.

Gloria Ochamba who hails from Okpai-Obeze abandoned her business concern in Asaba in search of her aged parents who were held hostage in their homes for almost a week by the flood which had swept away neighbouring communities in the area.

Gloria told Saturday Vanguard that Ndokwa East  was the worst hit, as farmlands had been overtaken by water while most mud houses had collapsed like pack of cards.

The business woman who listed Ashaka, Okpai-Oluchi, Okpai-Obeze, Beneku, Onuaboh, Utchi, Iyi, Abala, Igbuku, Ossissa, Olu-Ossissa Onicha Utchi, Iburede, Asaba-Ase, Obetim as some of the major villages most hit by the wild flood, said Aboh, the headquarter of Ndokwa East was not spared.

According to her, the general hospital in Aboh  had been submerged by the flood, while the only morgue at Ashaka was almost being completely swallowed by flood.

“Already, officials at the mortuary are presently trying  to reach owners of corpse deposited at the morgue to come and claim their corpse. However, corpse that were yet to be claimed are deposited at the roof top of the mortuary building as the only way to savage them from being swept away by the flood, Gloria said.

The businesswoman lamented that it took the state government time to respond to the people.

“Things generally got to a point, where the youths in the area now agreed to rent boat in search of people held hostage in their homes by the flood. It cost much money to rent a boat for a day. The youths recorded considerable success but not without casualty. Those who embarked on search party for their loved ones through canoe, some of them died in the process. Their canoes capsized.

“I cannot tell the causality  figures on my finger tips but I do know that many people died. Farmlands were overtaken by  water, stores and other petty traders including artisans abandoned their wares and scampered for safety at Kwale, headquarters of Ndokwa West.

“The temporary refuge camp, a primary school in Kwale is already overcrowded by flood victims who had been dispossessed of their aged long acquired properties.

“Not everybody got relief materials. Although, the state government only distribute mattress  and buckets to the people, but after that what next?,”Gloria queries.

The businesswoman said that she only succeeded to save the lives of her aged parents with the help of her elder sister only two days ago.

After days of expectations, my elder sister, tired of waiting for government boat, got a canoe and paddled to the very spot where my parents were. We are all at Kwale at the moment because it’s upland, Gloria said.

But a student in Obetim, one of the affected communities, Onyebuchi Nwagwunobi told Saturday Vanguard on phone that the entire village had been swept away by flood.

Onyebuchi said that the state government only named the Technical College at Kwale and a primary school at Ossissa as refugee camps for affected victims.

Ï saw some buses loaded with affected flood victims heading towards Asaba only two days ago as the refugee camps in Ossissa and Kwale were already over populated.”

Also, I had the state government will provide soft loan for those already affected by the flood after the water has dried up in the affected communities. Although, I don’t really know how true this may be be because it will be unwise to rely on government promise,”she said.

The student who feared
that Obetim part of the Warri-Asaba express road may be cut off, said most people in the affected  communities are still searching for their loved ones.

A traditional ruler in Ndokwa East Local Government Area was reportedly drowned when the boat in which he was being evacuated capsized.

A villager who preferred anonymity, said it will be a taboo to disclose the name of the royal father.

Also, the people of Ibedeni community in Ndokwa East lamented that roads in their community have been cut off by the ravaging  flood.

The Ogene of Ibedeni Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Jonathan said that their farmlands, houses, crops as cassava, yams, garden eggs, plantain, vegetables which were the mainstay of the people in the area have submerged by flood.

While reviewing the damage done in Asaba, the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduagha, described the situation on ground as “grave and grim.”

He lamented that within a period of three days, the number of communities affected increased astronomically, adding that at the moment, “the affected communities are totally flooded.”

The governor noted in dismay that the rehabilitation camps were already recording about 100,000 displaced persons, adding that food items and medical facilities were being arranged for the victims in the interim.

Against this backdrop, Gov. Uduaghan dispatched a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to the Federal Government, the private sector, well known philanthropists to come to the rescue of the state by assisting the government in the provision of facilities for the affected victims.

Governor Uduaghan, however, decried the nonchalant attitudes of local government chairmen to the flood disaster areas, noting that it was also the responsibility of the councils chairmen to cater for displaced persons in their jurisdictions.

The governor further disclosed that his administration would embark on embankment of shoreline of coastal communities on the banks of River Niger as part of measures to protect them from the current deluge.

He said there would be massive sand filling and reclamation of the shoreline from Anwai end of the state capital, Asaba, through the bridge head to Oko.

Additionally, the chairman of the Disaster Committee and Deputy governor for the state, Professor Amos Utuama during the week raised alarm that the flood disaster was getting worse in each passing day in the state.

Prof. Utuama disclosed on
Wednesday that no fewer than 220 additional communities have been swallowed by the rampaging flood in the state.

Investigations by Saturday Vanguard revealed that the flood has spread like wildfire to Oko-Kingdom, Oghegha and other riverine communities in Warri North Local Government Area.

The Deputy Governor disclosed that the government has opened rehabilitation camps in the affected coastal areas.

He assured that relief materials were distributed to the rehabilitation camps.

But the Delta State Action Congress of Nigeria (can) said the havoc wreaked by the flood was beyond mere provision of camps and relief materials for victims.

The state party chairman, Chief Adolo Okotie Eboh said that rather than the state government to procrastinate and make untenable promises on radio and on the pages of newspapers, the state government rhetorics should be matched with action.

My wife and I were held hostage for seven days – Pa Ochamba

Everyday, every hour,
every moment for the people of Okpai-Obeze in Ndokwa East were tucked in deep despair. At the turn of each tide, their hopes for survival dims. Each passing day, the rampaging flood which had left thousand of persons displaced in Delta State inches gradually into the neighbouring communities. In a flash, the entire neighbourhood of Okpai Obeze communities and environs had been swallowed by water, and the people were trapped like caged animals with no escape route spared.

Pa Godwin Ochamba narrated to Saturday Vanguard how he was eventually trapped with his wife, Madam Angelina in the riotous flood and subsequently rescued by their daughter. Excerpt.

The news of the flood came like any other rumour we have heard in the past. It started sometime early in September. We did not take the rumour serious. At a time, it was Asaba area, that water has overtaken the entire community. Subsequently, however, we heard that some neighbouring communities had been sacked by the flood.

But by September 24th precisely, we started noticing some signs. Yet, we dismissed them as the usual occasional flood which occurs at intervals in this community.

But one morning we woke up only to discover that our farmlands have been submerged by flood. We were in the middle of the flood since our home is upland in the community.

By the next day, the water has crept into my living room. Left with no choice, I then asked my wife to come inside so that when death comes, we shall not be separated. So, we remain in the flood eating what we can easily lay our hands on and praying at the same time, that God should spare our lives.

By this time, my children and grand children had started calling on us on phone. I told them that we cannot move anywhere as each linking communities have been submerged by the flood. And suddenly, my phone went blank since there is no electricity to power the phone.

It was precisely the seventh day that my daughter came with a canoe to evacuate us from our flood ravaged home to Kwale.

As I speak to you now, some people are still marooned on trees tops like monkeys waiting for good Samaritan to help them escape to the upland. Also, many people have died. Some people even died while on rescue mission.

We hope and pray that the federal and sate governments will help us get back to life again after this storm.

Most of the people in these communities are mainly farmers. We survive on our produce from the farm. Unfortunately, these crops such as yams, cassava, garden eggs, pepper, plantain and vegetables have been destroyed by the flood.

However, I thank God that I’m alive to tell the story. It would have been painful death dying in the water.