Ebonyi flood: We’ve recovered victims -SEMA

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has disclosed that it has recovered all those who were carried away by the recent flood that ravaged some parts of the state.

Akaeze, Uburu, Okposi, and Ukawu in Ohaozara and Ivo local government areas of the state were ravaged by flood, few days ago, with houses and other valuable property worth billions of naira destroyed. Some residents of the communities were reportedly carried away by the disaster.

The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA) in the state, Clement Ovuoba, said the agency has recovered the victims. He said some officials of the agency slept in the communities and ensured that the victims were recovered. He disclosed that the agency has carried out assessment on the  affected communities over the disaster.

“We have covered Akeze, Ohaozara, Ivo even. My workers had to sleep at Akeze the other day because it was late. If they didn’t come home, they had to stay there.

“But that’s by the way. So, we have done the assessment. We collected our data. The Executive Governor of the state, His Excellency, Francis Nwifuru, asked us to do the necessary things, so that we could get relief materials for the affected people. And those who were already in the flood-prone areas, we asked them to relocate.

“We relocated some people, but you know, in our culture, people don’t like going to a new place. If you don’t go to your maternal area, you start going to your paternal area. But we made sure that nobody should stay where they live if the place is dangerous.

“Those who were carried away by the flood, we were there until they were recovered; we have done those things already. Before this time, we did our preparedness, which was informing them about the rain. That is the only warning after NIMET gave us the information about the flood for the year.

“You know, that is not something you can predict. Sometimes you can forecast, but may not know actually when it will happen. Another problem we have is that this flood has also brought a thunderstorm at Obegu Ebonyi Local Government Area, where two lives were lost. Two women were killed by thunder this year. So, we are covering the state. That was on the 24th of last month, August”, Ovuoba stated.