Flooding: Our People Are Helpless, Ubie Monarch Cries Out 

The Eze Igbu Ubie of Ubie Kingdom of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Eze Okpokiri Maxwell, has blamed the Federal Government for failing to do the necessary things to check the perennial flooding in his kingdom.
Eze Okpokiri, who said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, said his people are helpless in the face of the surging water.
“The flooding issue is a very pathetic situation as far as Ubie kingdom is concerned.
“They said we should move to higher grounds, how do we move, who will help us? As far as I am concerned our people are helpless”, he said.
The royal father regretted that Ubie kingdom has not received any assistance from any quarters as far as flooding is concerned, adding that the kingdom has lost property including human lives to flooding.
“Ubie has lost  buildings, farmlands including lives in the last three years to flooding and there is no assistance from any body,” he said.
He said farmers in his kingdom are now in panic mood, adding that some of them have started harvesting crops to avoid being destroyed by the coming waters.
“Our farmers have started harvesting crops that have just been planted”, he said.
He also said the last flooding rendered many of his people homeless, stressing that those affected are yet to recovers even as another flood is coming.
Okpokiri faulted claims by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that relief materials were donated to victims in previous years and said that none of his people received relief materials from any agency.
According to him, as the king of the Ubie kingdom, his palace ought to be aware of any agency or company bringing relief materials to his people. He alleged that materials, if any was given, did not get to the right people.
The king blamed the federal government for not doing enough, stressing that proper attention is not given to the issue in the Orashi region.
It would be recalled that the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) had recently directed communities in the Orashi part of the state to begin to move to higher grounds as the region will be affected by flooding this year.
Some residents of Ubie and Engenni kingdoms who also spoke on the issue said federal government had not helped them during previous floodings.
They called  on the government to dredge the Orashi river to facilitate free flow of waters.

By: John Bibor & Oreoluwa Adigun