By Sebastine EBHUOMHAN
Many Edo State citizens have been left suffering life-threatening conditions and irreparable losses after the rain swept through the state on Friday, leaving tales of despair, destruction and death.
From the G.R.A. of Oredo to Ikpoba-Okha, Egor, Uhunmwode, and Orhionmwon, residents cried, swam and watched helplessly as massive floods destroyed their household items, homes, houses, and properties. In Esan South East, a woman who could not swim through the rivers of floods that swallowed many houses, died.
Roads, markets, farms, schools, and offices were not spared in the other parts of the state. The massive floods destroyed INEC enrolment machines, CVR materials, and vehicles parked at the state INEC headquarters in Benin City, according to the agency.
In 2019, Governor Godwin Obaseki announced the award of contracts for flood and erosion control in Benin City. Obaseki, who abandoned for political reasons ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s $30m Benin Storm Water project he consulted for, and which impacted on floods in many places, announced that he has spent a whopping $150m for flood control in Benin City by 2022. At the then average rate of N750 to $1, Edo State Government spent about N112.5 billion on flood control.
Considering that the state is yet to witness the seasonal heavy downpours and floods are already swallowing houses, it is feared that many more residents could lose their homes during this governorship election year, 2024. Experts say it is incumbent on Obaseki and the chairman of Edo State Economic Management Committee, Dr. Asuen Ighodalo, who flies the PDP ticket, therefore, to immediately begin preparing IDP camps for expected refugees, first and foremost, in order to prevent more deaths before a “permanent solution.”
Owing to the grave situation confronting children and adults, they are asking questions as to: when, how and where the colossal $150m was spent to control flood and erosion in Edo State as well as what quality of work was done, if anything was done at all? But only Mr. Obaseki can satisfactorily answer their questions.
Sebastine EBHUOMHAN is a journalist from Edo State. He can be reached at usie007@yahoo.com and 08037204620.
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