Chinedum Treasure
Goods worth millions of naira were on Friday destroyed at Afia Ekwe Building Materials market, Ogidi/Ogbunike, Idemili North/Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, following the submerging of the market by flood.
Narrating their ordeal, one of the victims, Okechukwu Edwin, told newsmen that the flood which was ocassioned by Thursday’s downpour, came from Ogidi and Ogbunike axis.
He said, “We came to our market this morning and found out that the entire Afia Ekwe Building Materials market has been submerged by flood caused by last night heavy down pour.
“You can see the traders trying to pick some of the destroyed goods. The flood came from Ogidi and Ogbunike. There is a drainage system that passes through the market and I believe the drainage system may have been blocked with refuses.
“Again the drainage system is narrow and needs to be expanded to contain the volume of flood that comes from Ogidi and Ogbunike communities.
“It is worrisome that leadership of this market is not interested in the welfare of the traders but only interested in collection of money from traders.”
Another victim, Chief Chinonso Okafor, while crying for government intervention, blamed the incident on the attachment built on top of the drainage system, which he said blocked the flood from flowing through the drainage system and thereby submerging the market.
“That attachment was built on top of the drainage and it blocked the gutter and resulted in the flood submerging the market whenever there is rainfall. Those places blocked should be reopened. The gutter crossed the expressway but was blocked.
“This flooding has not been happening until they blocked the drainage at Attachment line and the one at the expressway. We urge Governor Soludo to come to our rescue by ensuring that these blocked portionss are reopened,” he pleaded.
Contacted, Chairman of the market, Hon. Adinnu Onyechi described the flooding as natural disaster which occurred annually, even as he decried the magnitude of the damages on the goods.
“We experience the flood yearly and the last we witnessed the devastating effect was in 2019 before this very one that happened on the night of Thursday
“When we came this morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes, the destruction to goods was so devastating.
“The cause of this is that the drainage system that passes through the market is narrow that it couldn’t contain the volume of flood from Ogidi and Ogbunike communities. We don’t have the huge sum of money for this project of expanding the drainage system.
“We appeal to the state government to come to our rescue. Goods destroyed by the flood worth millions of naira. The victims are crying and pleading for assistance from government,” he stated.
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