Flooding: Trapped Anambra West Calls For Sympathy, Begs For Govt Intervention

  Anambra West Local Government Area is one of the local governments in Anambra State. It is located on an inland which  major occupation is farming.From  time immemorial, flood has been an annual phenomenal occurrence on the island. 
  Unfortunately, as enormous as the problem objectively presents itself almost every year, it is only the local governments close to it, or those along  the Omambala or the  River Niger areas  such as Anambra West, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Ayamelum and part of Awka North could, to an extent, understand the magnitude of the situation. To any other person the problem is a matter of mere fairy tale. 
   Naturally, there is always occasional  increase of volume of water in the area from about June to around  October 15 when the water gradually  begins to recede on its accord. It has always staggered in that manner for decades. However, since 2012 to date, there has been an unusual  annual increase of the volume of the River Niger. This rise has often led to the constant overflowing of the bank of the River Niger which eventually is the cause for the now frequent  sacking of communities living close to Omambala and the  River Niger, submerging them. 
  This yearly flood disaster not withstanding, today, Anambra West is acclaimed the food basket of the state even when  little or no attention comes from either the State Government or the Federal Government of Nigeria. It could be  recalled that in  the first tenure of Governor Willie Obiano, Anambra State was recorded the first state in Nigeria to export vegetables. The state got the vegetables from Onono in the Ezi-Anam Ward . But, it is very sad,  sad, indeed, that an area that brought such honour to the state is continually ravaged by flood  and  nobody seems to  care or ask how the people are fairing.
  During last year's flood,  the State Governor, Chief  Obiano, somehow showed some degree of concern by sending the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to some Internally Displaced Person's, IDP,  Camps, in a bid to ascertain the extent of flood damage in the area. But regrettably, it was long after the food that  some relief materials were  distributed among the victims. 
    This year the story seems to be an entirely different thing as the governor, apparently,  has not even sent a single word across to the now trapped victims of the  flood in the area. He has, instead, gone to Abuja to solicit help from Mr President while he has not himself done anything practically about the catastrophe.
  Whatever the case may be,  a near lasting palliative ought to be sought for the flood problem as it has now assumed a perennial phenomenon in that particular portion of the state.   On that backdrop therefore, the state government should begin now to look for time proven solutions to the problem. 
  Among other things, the government needs to build permanent IDP homes in some safe areas where  affected flood  victims could easily run to during  such emergencies. Also, the government should consider granting soft loans to farmers in the area to enable them procure effective silos and other storage facilities to avert unnecessary waste of food items during flood. Early yielding crops should also be provided for farmers in the area so that they could harvest their farms long before flood months.
  Anambra West Local Government Area produces yam, coco yam, potato, cassava, and all kinds of vegetables, yet the  state government does not seem to recognize the area vis-a-vis the  place of agriculture in the state. Politicians always tend to score political points as they go about promising to develop agriculture during their electoral campaigns but as soon as they get into power they will make no single investment in agriculture. This is bad. 
  Nigeria is scarcely emerging wholesome from the economic and social ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for the country, especially Anambra State,  to effectively manage the adverse effects of the pandemic, governments,  both federal and state, should  seriously go into practical investment in agriculture rather than using it as a political campaign tool. 
  The people of Anambra West are therefore calling on governments at all levels, well spirited individuals, faith-based and humanitarian organisations to come to their rescue. The people are now grossly displaced by flood. Most of them now have no roofs over their heads; their houses are submerged and their household properties  and farm crops worth billions of naira are destroyed. Anambra West needs sympathy and practical help now than ever. It is the time to show Christian brotherly love. 

Sponsored by Comr. Sylvester Okafor ( Former Chairman Anam Progressive Union India and Chief. ONYEKWELI ANEKWEZE BIG BOKI DEVELOPMENT