By Tony Adibe
A five-day downpour has led to the devastating flooding of at least four communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.
NewsBits reports that the four badly affected communities included Mpu, Okpanku, Ndiabor and Douma; they have been submerged by the ravaging flood that displaced residents and destroyed houses, shops, rice mills, farmlands and other property worth millions of naira.
Mpu is the home community of the former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and Oduma is the community of the emeritus Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abel Chukwu.
NewsBits, referencing residents, learnt that this latest flooding is not the first, as Okpanku had experienced major flooding on previous occasions, with community accounts citing 1939, 1965 and 2026 as major flood years.
This recall and historical insights could give experts an idea of how to understand the flooding challenge properly and perhaps release early warnings to residents, NewsBits reports.
Natives React To The Incident
Commenting on the incident, the Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, expressed concern over the natural disaster. He said that flooding occurs twice yearly in some parts of the area due to the incomplete Ivo Dam project.
Nwanjoku said stakeholders were planning a joint visit to the Ivo Dam to assess the reservoir and explore possible repairs to prevent further flooding. He said: “I felt sad the moment I heard about the incident. Most communities in Aninri have been submerged by flooding, such as Okpanku, Mpu, Uhuezeoke in Ndiabor and parts of Ezineshi in Oduma.
“Crops, houses and businesses were destroyed. We are assessing the situation to know the level of damage this has caused.”
The Councillor representing Mpu Ward, Hon. Edwin Ogbuka, regarded the situation as life-threatening, stressing that several houses and farmlands had been affected. Ogbuka, who called for urgent government intervention, said that the flooding was caused by the overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo Dam project.
Also, a community leader in Mpu, Mr Chukwu Magnus Dele, said six villages in the community had been affected, with displaced residents taking refuge at Amachalla Town School. Dele pleaded with the government and relevant emergency agencies to urgently provide relief materials and other assistance to the victims.
How It All Started
NewsBits gathered that the flood, which began on Saturday, September 20, worsened on Tuesday and Wednesday, overrunning and practically submerging parts of Afor Okpanku, Ivo Bridge and adjoining roads. Residents said more than 10 houses reportedly collapsed, while rice, yam and cassava farms were washed away by the rising waters.
As at the time of filing this report, residents were seen evacuating their families and belongings to safer locations as heavy rainfall continued in the area. Apparently borrowing a leaf from the previous speakers who reacted to the development, the Youth Leader of Okpanku, Mr George Ahaefuna, described the disaster as unprecedented.
According to him, “Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have laboured for this year. “It has destroyed our crops, rice and yam farms worth millions of naira. I am appealing to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government, NEMA and SEMA to come to our aid.”
Also, a shop owner at Afor Okpanku Market, Mrs Patricia Chukwu, said goods worth millions of naira had remained submerged for two days. Chukwu said: “This development is devastating. This is the worst flood that has affected Okpanku in my generation.
“If you go inside the villages, you will see houses destroyed by the flood. I urge the government, spirited individuals, the Senator representing Enugu West, the House of Representatives member, the local government chairman, and the House of Assembly member to assist those whose houses were destroyed to rebuild them so they can return home.”
The flooding was still worsening as of press time, with rain continuing to fall and more buildings and farmlands coming under water. Attempts to reach the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for their reactions did not bear fruit at the time of filing this report.
