By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Calabar

It has become a tale of woes in Cross River State following ravaging flood that has rendered several families in the state homeless and turned them refugees in their own fatherland.

Worse still, the flood which makes its disastrous visit from the marshy terrain of Bakassi in the Southern part of the state to the rocky mountains of Obanliku in the North, has claimed several lives in addition to destroying the people’s means of livelihood.

About seven months ago, precisely on Sunday, May 8, this year, a 30-minute devastating windstorm swept across some local government areas in the Northern part of the state and displaced about 2000 people. The wind which preceded a heavy downpour took residents of Obudu, Obanliku, Boki, Bekwarra and Ogoja local government areas by surprise as the cloud ushering the rain did not depict a storm.

The roofs of over 700 houses were blown away and their walls pulled down, just as electric poles and economic trees were knocked down. A Mercedes Benz 190 model car which was parked beside a huge tree was crushed beyond repairs when the tree fell.

Entire building blown off

Though there was no report of death, about 20 persons were injured and hospitalised. Also affected were houses belonging to some prominent citizens of the society in Obudu and Obanliku, including the Pro – Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Cross River State University of Technology, CRUTECH, Dr. Peter Ogbang, who had the roof of an entire building blown off, with books, electronics and other household goods destroyed.

Dr. Ogbang said that the wind was so strong that it nearly swept him off the ground, while household items were blown in different directions. He said it took the grace of God that no one in his compound was fatally injured.

Another victim, Mr. Augustine Agaku (54) whose roof was also removed said he did not realise that he was at the mercy of the elements until he was drenched by the rain. Mr. Agaku, a blind man, lamented that the total destruction of his eight-room apartment housing 16 persons left them helpless. According to him, unless government at all levels assist him to rebuild his house, his family may not survive their present plight.

The story was not different in the southern part of the state. About two weeks ago, there was a heavy downpour in Calabar Metropolis which again left tales of woe in its wake among many families.

As a result of the heavy rains which fell without any sign, hundreds of families were displaced as flood ravaged homes, pulling down perimeter fences, houses and destroying household properties worth millions of naira. Mostly affected are Nsemo, Ikot Ansa, Target, Murray, IBB Way, Ebito, Mayne Avenue, Atu and a section of the Murtala Mohammed Highway.

The rains which started at about 7pm on a Saturday gave no respite for about five hours, disrupting traffic flow and causing commotion everywhere. Most people who went out for Saturday events such as weddings were trapped and could only find their way home late into the night after wading through perilous waters. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Permanent Secretary, Department of Public Transportation, Dr. Anthonia Monkom who lives at Nsemo Street in Calabar Municipal Council.

Narrating her story, Mrs. Monkom whose home was flooded up to window level said electronics, documents, furniture, utensils and car were either swept away or destroyed by the ravaging flood.

She said that it was the first time such magnitude of flood had been experienced since her stay of over 20 years in the area and that the flood pulled down her fence, filled the entire house and swept away her property, adding that it took the intervention of public-spirited individuals to rescue her and 10 other occupants to safer grounds.

Also badly affected was the home of a one-time Care Taker Committee Chairman of Calabar South Local Government Area, Elder Christy Ise, who had her house completely ravaged by the raging flood.

In fact, there are fears that the calamity may continue unabated as the weather remain dangerously unpredictable. It was also gathered that the calamity hit an unidentified middle aged woman who was found drowned after a down pour. The corpse of the deceased was discovered at an undeveloped plot of land which had its fence pulled down by the flood that overflowed the major drainage channel close by.

Investigations revealed that the woman with her tummy swollen and blood dripping out of the mouth, eyes and ears may have been carried by the ravaging flood through the channel and deposited there. A taxi cab (Volkswagen Golf) with a registration number XA 333 – ETN, Akwa Ibom was also discovered along the Murtala Mohammed Highway by Mr. Biggs fast food joint with a dead man on the wheels presumably the driver of the vehicle.

A traffic warden told Vanguard Metro, VM, that it was in process of trying to find out why the car was awkwardly parked, partially blocking the major highway for over five hours during the rain that a dead man was found inside.

The Director-General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah quickly mobilised the Police, Road Safety Corps, Civil Defense and other relevant agencies to evacuate the corpse to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital morgue, while the car was taken to the State Housing Police for further investigation.

The SEMA DG advised the people of the state to take the NIMET predictions of heavy rains and its effects throughout the year very seriously and guard against the effect of flooding associated with heavy rains. He warned against the dumping of refuse into drainages and construction of houses and other structures on waterways.

But worried by the menace of flood in the state, the state government has embarked on the construction of standard drainages in Calabar to complement the existing ones.

The drainage system which is billed to run west ward of the Calabar Metropolis is to empty its content into the river by the United Nigeria Cement Company, Unicem factory.

Inspecting the ongoing work, Governor Liyel Imoke said it was one of the measures taken to tackle the incessant flood menace in the city. Imoke who had earlier inspected some flood flash paints in the city sympathised with the victims, assuring that government would not relent in improving drainages within the metropolis to forestall any further damage to the environment which had often culminated in the destruction of lives and property.

The Governor who was conducted round to the flash points by the Commissioner for Environment, Edward Ogon expressed gross discomfort at the colossal damage to property and the socio-economic upheavals created in the lives of the victims.

It was gathered that drainage channels in Calabar constructed some years ago did not take into account the sudden climate change and its attendants calamities as the volume of water in recent times had overwhelmed the channels causing overflow and flooding.

The state capital had suffered over five major flooding incidents this year with property worth millions of naira been destroyed.

The Governor was accompanied by some State executive Council members, the Director-General Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah and other top Government functionaries.

The flood disaster in the state has created panic and fear amongst the residents and it requires immediate attention from the federal and state governments. Although, it was predicted that the state was going to have an unprecedented rain fall, if nothing is done to arrest the situation, it will be more disastrous. Cross River is a state that one cannot predict the rains whether dry or rainy season.