FERMA Shoddy Work: Flood Washes Away Drainage, Threatens Bridge, Shops In Anambra Market

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

Palpable fear has allegedly gripped traders at Ogbaru Main (Relief) market, near Onitsha, Anambra State, as flood is currently wrecking havoc at the Sakamori drainage system located between the market and Onitsha/Owerri road by-pass.

Investigations by this reporter revealed unless immediate action is taken, no fewer than 10 lock up shops may be washed away even as the pedestrian bridge that links the market and the express road is seriously being threatened to cave in as cracks are being displayed.

Taking newsmen round the scene, the President General of the market, Chief Ndubisi Ochiogu, lamented that few weeks after the repair work at the Sakamori drainage system by Federal Government Maintenance Agency, FERMA, the situation worsened as both the slabs, and other materials used to repair the damaged drainage system collapsed.

“We engaged the services of excavator machine operators at our own expense to remove the collapsed slabs out from the drainage for smooth flow of the flood. The slabs assisted in worsening the situation as they blocked the drainage.

“The pedestrian bridge here that links the market with outsiders is collapsing, you can see the cracks, if nothing is done to save it from collapse, in the next rainfall, it will collapse and the over 10 shops reconstructed after they collapsed earlier, will follow suit as they have cracks too.

“We have written to FERMA and the State Government to come to our rescue as the damage is beyond the financial capability of the traders. FERMA should return to site with out further delay to also save the Onitsha/Owerri road by-pass from cutting into two as it will seriously affect those travelling to Imo and South South States,” he pleaded.

Shop owners at the scene who pleaded anonymity accused FERMA of shoddy repair work earlier adding that it used inferior materials to carry the repair work when the drainage was washed away earlier by flood.

“They know what they are doing if not how come that after just about two months of repair of the drainage system, it collapsed again in just one rainfall. One of their machines they used to do the shoddy work is still here. They should be ordered back to site. We thank our market President General, Chief Ndubisi Ochiogu, God will keep him for us because if not for his efforts we would not have stayed here by now.

“He brought the excavator operator and removed the collapsed slabs that blocked the drainage for easy flow of flood. FERMA should be here now and we urge Governor Charles Soludo’ to prevail on FERMA to come back to site,” they pleaded.

Pic shows the excavator machine removing the slabs from the drainage system