By Edeniyere Abraham Osose
Officials of the Edo State Ministry of Environment and Sustainability have visited some streets ravaged by flood in Oka 4 Community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the State to assess the degree of the damage done by the gush of water sacking people from their homes whenever it rains.
Leader of the team and Director, Department of Flood and Erosion in the ministry, Engr. George Igwabor, who was visibly moved by the number of displaced people and the over two hundred houses destroyed, assured that the State government would intervene in the environmental disaster.
Speaking with the residents, Engr. Igwabor explained that the visit was at the instance of the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, following a letter written by landlords and residents of the affected streets, namely: Aifuwa, Ehi-Erese, Ehiyoboyi, Osemwenkhae, Asuen, Destiny, Ekhator, Osa-Aghayedo, Avbiama and environs, to the Governor to come to their rescue before the entire community is wiped away from the Edo State map by the ravaging floods.
He told representatives of the affected area that there is a need to create erosion ponds in the area where the flood water can be channelled, and urged residents to provide land for the water retention ponds.
Earlier, some of the landlords who took the officials on a tour of the affected streets, appealed to the various government agencies to come to their aid as the scale of the environmental problem is beyond their capacity.
