Residents of Agbarha-Otor, the country home of the former first civilian governor of Delta State, Olorogun Felix Ibru, were sacked from their homes on Sunday by rampaging flooding after a persistent downpour.
Agbarha-Otor is in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state and also home to Nigeria’s renown business magnate, Olorogun Michael Ibru.
Tribune Online gathered that most of the streets and homes of residents were taken over by flooding with many household properties destroyed.
Most badly ravaged areas of the community were Onah and Urhude including Agbarha Primary School, where some residents were said to be stranded.
A resident, Mr Alfred Awhirhe, who spoke to journalists, said flooding in the ancient town of Agbarha-Otor has been a recurrent decimal due to poor drainage system in the community.
He blamed the government of Delta State for abandoning Agbarha-Otor in its scheme of things despite its political and economic significance to the state.
“This is Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Government Area with a lot of politicians from the community whom we voted for during elections, but after getting to power, they neglect us.
“Every year, the community suffers perennial flooding, the successive governments of the state including the current one promised to look into the flood issue but nothing has been done about it,” he lamented.
He specifically decried Dr Okowa whom, he said, promised during his electioneering campaign to tackle the problem of flooding headlong in Agbarha-Otor and Ughelli North, but has not fulfilled his promise.
While speaking on the immediate causes of the annual flooding, Mr Arierhi Ogbagah, a community leader in Agbarha-Otor kingdom, noted that the drainage systems of the community were poorly constructed.
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He added that some persons in the town either built houses or fish ponds on the natural waterways, urging the government of Delta State and Ughelli North Local Government Area to deploy their environmental task force officers to the community to save lives and property.
Ahwirhe, who’s also a community leader in Agbarha-Otor kingdom, called on the Delta State government, the Federal Government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aide of Agbarha-Otor before the ravaging flood sweeps the entire community into River Niger.
Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Mr Adode Atete, could not be reached as his mobile lines rang out when he was contacted on phone. He aka did not respond to a text message from our correspondent.
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