—Victims call for urgent help

By the time most families will be enjoying the festive seasons in their homes at Yuletide, the people of two communities in Delta and Edo States along the coasts of Niger Delta in Southern Nigeria
will be in makeshifts camps.

The people of Okere in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State had their entire communities devastated by floods after hours of heavy rains on the last day of November 2023 while the people of Odaba in Ekperi, Etsako Local Government of Edo State had their community taken over by floods that followed the rain of 3rd December , 2023.

The communities which are in two out of the three states in the newly bifurcated District 404A-4, Nigeria had thought they would miss the flooding which had wrecked havoc in other parts of the Niger Delta States this year are at the moment depressed with no one in sight to come to their aid.

A community leader in Okere, Chief Sylvanus Ogeide said the farmlands, houses, roads, schools and the only health centre in the town were all submerged.

” We appeal to public spirited organisations to come to our rescue with relief materials so that we can survive this unfortunate incident”, he said.

A High Chief in Odaba said people of the community have never suffered such a huge loss which he put at over #550million .

He called on Governments at all levels and humanitarian organisations to come over to help them out of their current predicaments.

” Only speedy responses to our plea for assistance can save our people particularly women and children from this natural disaster “, he lamented

The representatives of the two State Governments and various organisations including the Lions Club District Governor have attempted to access the areas but without any avail.

The people are currently living in tattered shelters with their families members far away from their ancestral homes.