Anambra Records 100,000 Flood Victims

The Anambra State government has said that the number of its
citizens displaced by flood had reached 100,000.

It also dismissed allegations that the victims’ camps were
attacked by robbers.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr Oseloka Obaze,
told newsmen in Awka that the state had opened three additional camps for the
displaced persons in Awka North, Ihiala and Ozubulu to bring the total number
of camps to 19.

He said the additional camps were to accommodate the surging
number of persons displaced by the flood.

The SSG, however, noted that in spite of being the worst
affected state, Anambra had recorded the least number of fatalities due largely
to the pro-active manner it handled the crisis.

“We are in the third week of the flood and I can tell you
that as at this morning, there are about 10,000 homes and businesses under
water and about 100,000 known displaced persons in the state.

“For the effective management of the situation, we have set
up a seven-man disaster management committee in the affected local governments
while top government officials visit them daily.

“We have the least number of fatalities due to the disaster.
We have recorded three births and five deaths.

“This is due to the pro-active hands-on approach to managing
complex emergency that we adopted in the state.

In Otuocha, there is one camp that is filled with basically
people from Kogi but as a matter of priority, we are taking care of all of
them,” he explained.

Speaking on the alleged robbery attack on one of the camps,
Oseloka said it was false as the state security agencies had not reported any
of such.

“Rumours that there was a robbery attack on one of the camps
is not true. I contacted the various security agencies and the Special Adviser
on Security, retired Col. George Molokwu, who said there was no such attack.

“What happened was that there was a man who was acting funny
in the camp and was arrested and that was corroborated by the Commander of the
Onitsha garrison and the Police did not confirm the incident as I am talking to
you now.

Obaze said that 2000 bags of rice, 5000 blankets, 2000
mosquito nets and other relief materials such as vegetable oil, sugar, mats and
buckets had been delivered to the camps.

He thanked the government agencies, security agencies, NGOs,
religious bodies and kind hearted individuals who are collaborating with the
state to provide comfort to the victims.

Meanwhile, security operatives attached to the Bishop
Crowther Memorial Primary School, Onitsha, where the alleged attack took place,
have debunked the rumour.

A correspondent of NAN, who visited the camp on Tuesday,
learnt that there was no such incident in the camp since it opened on October
1.