By Theresa Ugbobu

ALIHAME—FLOOD has devastated the link road between Edo and Delta states traversing Alihame community in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta, and separated the people from other sections of Delta State.  In the defunct Midwestern region, the neglected road served as a connecting route to Sapele through which farmers take their palm kernels to the seaport for sale.

Flood: Sakpoba-abandoned-residence

A prominent indigene, Mr. Isaac Ofume, told Niger Delta Voice that the road has been in a deplorable condition for a very long time.  He disclosed that 10 years ago, one of their sons, who represented Ika Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Cairo Ojuogboh, influenced the tarring of the road. But there was no drainage, hence it deteriorated so soon.

He said: “We are appealing to Federal Government to rehabilitate the road with proper drainage for easy accessibility. No amount of tarring will make the road durable without drainage.” Ofume said the villagers had tried to channel the flood for easy movement of vehicles and people on the road, but that with the rains, it was uncontrollable.

Community leader, Pius Ojeme, who also spoke in a similar vein, said the town had written several letters to Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, complai-ning about the dilapidated condition of the road and damage caused by flood because of lack of drainage, but received no response.

He said: “We call on the Federal Government to come to our aid by rehabilitating the road for better accessibility. We need proper drainage so that water can flow to make the road last for long. This route is a link road from Delta to Edo state.  “The bad road has affected us; we cannot convey our farm produce to the market where they ought to be sold and we have been totally cut from socio-economic life completely. That is why we are calling for urgent help.

“People in this community have been suffering from epidemic because of the accumulated flood, which is breeding mosquitoes and causing malaria.” Retired civil servant, Michael Omodia and a villager, Jacob Nwadozie, also lamented the damage flood had caused to the link road, also known as Sakpoba Road. They said it had destroyed several buildings and people residing in the area can neither leave nor return to their homes whenever it rains.