Some communities which
were affected in the 2012 flood disaster have appealed to the federal and state governments for more support to enable them to get back to their feet.
It would be recalled that the flooding in September 2012, ravaged more than 300 communities in 14 local government areas of the state.
The Federal Government also assisted the state with the sum of N5 million grant to support the victims.
An investigation showed that the state, in the last two years, had been using the grant to support the affected victims.
A visit to Oko communities in Oshimili South Local Government Area of the state showed that majority of the victims had yet to recover from the effects of the disaster.
Chief Patrick Ogu, one of the community leaders in Oko, acknowledged that the government had done a lot but still appealed for more support for his people.
According to him, the federal and state governments have done a lot but there is still a lot to be achieved because our people have social problems, which were caused by the disaster.
“In the area of schools and health centres, we need school buildings as well as health centres because during the flood disaster, our school buildings were brought down.
“And most of these buildings have not been replaced and this is a very big challenge to our children, who now have no other option than to learn under dilapidated buildings.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the federal and state governments to help us renovate these schools and health centres,” Ogu said.
Also, Chief Michael Nwadukwe, the Isama Akwua of Oko, said the doctors and nurses who were posted to the community hardly stayed there because of the poor state of the health centres.
According to him, the damages caused by the 2012 flood caused a lot of hardship to the Oko community.
Nwadukwe also appealed for more support for the people, especially the farmers, to enable them to go back to their occupation.