Residents Cry Out as Flood Ravages Homes Behind Okpe Grammar School and Environs, Seek Urgent Government Intervention

By Endurance Ikanone

Residents living behind Okpe Grammar School and Environs through Comprehensive Road in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, have appealed to the Delta State Government and the Sapele Local Government Council to urgently intervene as persistent flooding continues to render the area uninhabitable.

The affected residents, located about five electricity poles from the residence of the immediate past Chairman of Sapele Local Government, Hon. Eugene Inoaghan, has been submerged following heavy rainfall, leaving many families displaced and exposing residents to serious health and environmental hazards.

A visit to the area revealed vast stretches of the neighbourhood covered by stagnant floodwater, making movement almost impossible and cutting off access to several residential buildings.

Residents said the situation has deteriorated over the years, with every heavy rainfall leaving homes inundated for days due to the absence of an effective drainage system.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr. Godwin Ohwevwo, a resident, lamented that many families have been forced to temporarily abandon their homes because of the rising water level.

According to him, “We are suffering. Whenever it rains, the whole area becomes a river. Some people cannot sleep in their houses because the water enters their rooms.

Children and elderly people are the worst affected. We are pleading with the government to save us.”

Another resident, Mrs. Esther Akpoveta, described the flooding as a major threat to public health, noting that stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease causing insects.

She explained that the flood has damaged household property, disrupted the daily lives of residents and made it difficult for children to move freely to and from school.

Also speaking, Mr. Efe Jude urged the authorities not to overlook the plight of the residents, stressing that it is the responsibility of government to protect the lives and property of citizens and provide timely intervention whenever communities are faced with environmental disasters.

He appealed to the government to construct a durable drainage system that would channel floodwater away from the area and provide a permanent solution to the recurring problem.

The residents specifically called on the Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Ogodo, to urgently visit the affected area and initiate immediate measures to address the environmental challenge before more homes are overtaken by floodwater.

They also appealed to the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area, Hon. Bright Abeke, to come to their aid by collaborating with relevant government agencies to provide immediate relief and commence the construction of adequate drainage channels capable of preventing future flooding.

According to the residents, urgent intervention has become necessary as the peak of the rainy season approaches, warning that continued flooding could result in the collapse of buildings, outbreaks of waterborne diseases and further displacement of families.

They expressed hope that both the state and local government authorities would respond swiftly to their appeal and provide a lasting solution to the recurring flooding that has brought untold hardship to residents of the area.

Hon Bright Afure Abeke

Hon Moses Ogodo