I followed with keen interest the recent visit of Governor Charles Soludo to Ogidi, where the community has been facing a serious flooding problem. During the visit, some members of the community rightly pointed out that the cause of the flooding was the uncompleted drainage system, which was never properly terminated. They are absolutely correct.
The truth of the matter is that the road from Nkpor to Amawbia – traversing several communities – was constructed during the administration of Mr. Peter Obi and executed by CCC Construction Company.
I am certain you already know this. I must, however, commend Governor Soludo for his new, more mature approach to governance. In the past, in your characteristic executive mischief, you might have mentioned the exact date the road was constructed to suggest it was part of “the mess” Obi left behind. But this time, you resisted that temptation – thank you for that.
That road remains one of the strongest in the state. Despite accommodating some of the heaviest traffic in Anambra, it has stood the test of time.
Now, let me provide the full context from my perspective. All the roads built under Peter Obi’s administration were properly designed, including this one.
Prior to its construction, the area had always faced the problem of poor drainage. In fact, there was an existing large borrow pit that collected floodwater to mitigate the impact. Apart from the yearly desilting of the pit, the design proposed a final solution — channeling the floodwater either towards the dual carriageway or the Idemili River.
Both alternatives had their challenges. Directing it toward the dual carriageway would require digging a very deep culvert because of the uphill terrain, while directing it toward the Idemili River would involve a lot of meandering since the area is already built up. After careful consideration, the design finally adopted the Idemili River as the better option.
However, because the project will take time and Obi’s tenure was coming to an end, the final phase of the drainage work was deferred. During an inspection of the road – attended by the then incoming governor, Chief Willie Obiano – Mr. Obi explicitly noted that completing the drainage system would be one of Obiano’s first major undertakings. The large catchment pit that was dug at the time was meant only as a temporary flood-control measure.
Upon assuming office, rather than follow through on the plan, Governor Obiano became preoccupied with claiming full credit for the entire road project. On one occasion, even during his birthday celebration a few weeks ago, his supporters listed the road among his achievements. They also listed the Ebenebe bridge and bridges along Amansea-Ndiukwuenu road done by Obi as constructed by Obiano. To make matters worse, the scheduled desilting and maintenance of the temporary catchment pit were completely abandoned. Over time, the pit became clogged, unable to perform its intended function, and that neglect is what has culminated in the current severe flooding crisis.
What should be done now is simple: retrieve the original design of the project and execute the remaining section of the drainage as initially planned. Once this is done, the Ogidi flood problem will be permanently resolved.
To get Anambra right, always start from where Obi stopped.
Valentine Obienyem
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