Rain Storm Victims Send SOS To Govt

Government at all levels in Nigeria, good spirited individuals, as well as the National Emergency Agency (NEMA) have been called upon to come to the aid of victims of the recent  rain  storm that ravaged the entire Adogbalato Kingdom in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State which left  over  200 families homeless.

    The  disaster, which de- roofed  more than 300 houses  in  the area, started   about 7.pm,  with heavy thunder storm, which threw the entire communities into panic, agony and confusion.

Narrating the ordeal of his people  to newsmen  shortly after conducting them round parts of the affected communities,  the Traditional  Ruler of the area, Igwe  Christopher Okoye Oti, described  the   disaster as shocking, especially coming at a time when the people are seriously suffering  untold hardship occasioned by the present economic melt- down .

Igwe Oti   noted that the  disaster has wrecked havoc in the area, turning victims “to  refugees in their  father land”

  While hailing   the council chairman of the area, Chief Uche Anioke, for promptly  setting up a committee to look into the problem, the Royal Father  added that what was  needed  now  in handling the situation  was action   and not mere talk.   

     His words:  ”I am appealing to government and other relevant agencies in emergency situations to come to the assistance of my people   who are now going through untold hardship occasioned by last Sunday’s rain storm disaster,  which has rendered scores of families homeless”                    

      He further  stated that the calamity has compounded the problem of his people who are predominantly farmers

 “I must tell you , my people are really suffering. We lack every socio amenities. No potable water . No access road to evacuate our farm produce.  We don’t even have health centers to  address the medical problems of the people”, Igwe Oti lamented.

 One of the  victims, a retired Assistant Chief Registrar in the Enugu State Judiciary, Ambassador Peter Kelechi, whose one storey building was adversely affected by the rain storm,  described the incident  as a “shocking story”, but, thanked God for not allowing any  casualty .

The aged  man,  who said he channelled all his retirement benefits  into  erecting  the affected building,  also appealed to government and other spirited individuals to come to  their help, saying that  natural disaster was unpredictable.

      Other victims of the disaster, who also spoke to newsmen included  Mr. Sony Ilo, who is the Director of an affected  Institute of Construction Engineering, an affiliate of Federal  University of  Science and Technology (FUTO), Owerri, Imo State also appealed for help.

    Mr. Ilo, told newsmen in his office that the institution was seriously hit by the storm, disclosing that  it  lost some of its   electronic measuring expensive   equipment valued at  several thousands of  naira to the disaster.

    According to the Director, a lot of the  school’s  office  furniture were damaged during the  calamity, saying that  the roofs were completely blown off, describing the incidence as “very devastating” .