By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI— Farmlands in  five  communities in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State were yesterday reportedly submerged by flood.

Gov. Dave Umahi

The flood was caused by the blockade of a dam being constructed by the Federal Government at Npu in Anuri LGA  of Enugu state.

The affected communities are Ameke, Okue, Amaokwe, Ngwogwo and Obodo.

Inspecting the level damage in the area, Governor  David Umahi ordered a comprehensive report of farms and cash crops destroyed by the flood described the impact of the damage as huge.

Umahi said the report would be sent to the  Federal government  with a view to assisting the state and farmers whose means of livelihood had been severely affected.

The  Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ivo LGA , Chief O. Ude who accompanied  Governor Umahi to the site of the  dam  said the blockade  caused  water to overflow backwards, thereby destroying  the farmlands in  the affected communities.

“If you look back from where we are standing, you  will  see a river coming down from there, that is Ivo and this river is Ukeh. So the rivers meet here and  it is from here that  the constructors created an embankment that makes water to flow backwards.”

The chairman of Ngwogwo Community Development Union, Mr. Johnson Ukpai, lamented that the flood had destroyed  agricultural produce like yams,cassava, rice,Maize and  cocoyam.

He pleaded  with the Federal government to come to their rescue.

“The blockage of dam which resulted  in the  over flow of flood to this our community has caused enormous damage to this our community. Food crops like, yams, cassava, rice, maize, cocoyams have been destroyed.”

Barr. Augustine Ossai, a liaison officer in Ivo legislative  council, also lamented the damages done by the flood and called on the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency to immediately come to the assistance of farmers in the area.