Heavy down pour renders many homeless in Benue

FOUR hour down pour which started late hour on Saturday and lasted to early hour of Sunday has rendered many people homeless in Makurdi, Benue State capital.

Worst areas are Wadatta, Wurukum, Atusa, Zone 4, Nyima layout and Gana all in Makurdi metropolis.

It was gathered that the rain started around few minutes to midnight on Saturday and lasted till after 4am on Sunday morning.

Speaking with a resident at Gana on Sunday, Madam Rose Terna told our correspondent that the rain started few minutes before midnight and woke up to see the whole compound flooded.

Mrs Terna  said, ‘ I remember that the rain started few minutes before midnight on Saturday but somehow I slept off only to wake when I felt like going to toilet around 3.am and discovered that it was sill raining.

“At time I strolled to the living I was shocked to see that the whole place is flooded so I had to wake up my husband and packed all the electronics out of the living room”.

It was an agony for residents of Atusa who said they were woken up with the heavy down pour knowing fully that the area is prone to flooding.

“Anytime there is heavy down pour like the one that occurred early this morning is always a sleepless night for us, you can see the whole area flooded now we appeal to the state government to do something about this.”

Speaking with the Tribune Online on Sunday a staffer of the state assembly, Mr Tikili Simon called on the state government to open up drainage in the affected areas.

He said that some of the flooded areas from Zone 4 to Atusa and Gana were mostly affected because of lack of drainage.

“All these places like Gana and Atusa are developing areas within 16 Kilometre radius, so government should do something to make these places habitable”.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Joseph Ustev when contacted on phone described the situation ‘as terrible’ saying the major cause of the flood was blockage of drainages.

He said that the officials of the ministry were on tour monitoring the situation to report back to the state governor for urgent attention.