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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The ravaging flood might have caused socio-economic dislocations across affected communities but some local folks are exploiting it for fortunes. They have made arrangements to ferry stranded passengers across flooded roads.
The Asaba-Ugbolu-Illah road in Delta State for instance, has flooded portions at Mile 5 and and New Mile 5, just before Ugbolu, an agrarian community where most civil servants working in Asaba reside.
Besides, the Ugbolu Market plays host to buyers from the capital city in need of fresh food items at cheaper rates. Before the flood, transport fare from Asaba was N200. At the moment, it cost N500. to get to Ugbolu.
As a result of the flooded road, mini buses and tricycles make use of an alternative hilly by-pass considered to be prone to accident as well as being a hideout for men of the underworld.
But to avoid the risk of the alternative hilly route, passengers to Ugbolu have adopted the stop-gap measure. They board tricycle from Asaba to Mile 5 and connect with local canoe to be ferried across the water for N200.
At the Mile 5 are teenage boys and girl operating the canoe. They are victims of flood having being displaced from their homes. They are now hibernating in make shift structures erected with cellophane which exposes them to the elements.
But no qualms, as they are neck deep in the local transporation business to support the family income.
Obinna, a 13-year old secondary school student, told our correspondent that he makes up to N3,000.00 daily since he deployed his canoe to the flooded portion.
“I make up to N3,000 daily, and my brothers inspired me. Every year, we do this when flood encroaches on the road. We are just hustling to make ends meet and help the people,” he said.
Obinna and his colleague are usually out of school during the first term of every academic session on account of the flood which has become yearly occurrence.
“We don’t attend school during first term because of flood, but some people go to school. Flood has taken over our houses and we have to hustle for a living. Our parents have relocated to Ugbolu,” he added.
For the teenage girls, the story is the same. They feel neglected and abandoned. Nineteen -year-old Amaka Ofodile did not have much to say but Ifesinachi Merit appeared to be more vocal.
Ifesinachi told Daily Sun that they need intervention from government, corporate organisations and well meaning individuals, adding that when they start distributing relief materials, they should come to them.
She said: “We need food, even if it is a cup of rice. We are suffering, look at our houses, they are built with nylon. If it rains at night, we can’t sleep, water will be dropping on us.
“Where we used to live, water has carried it. Let them bring relief materials to Mile 5 for us; we are the ones that actually need it. This one that we are doing here, we are just hustling so that our mother can have money to buy food from the market.”
Meanwhile, it was gathered that most workers in the state civil service residing at Ugbolu have gone on forceful vacation, as they complained about the inherent hazards of coming to work during the flood season.
But some workers of private establishments with the Ugbolu-Mile 5 axis still go to work.
Some of them who spoke with our correspondent after using the canoe, lamenting what they described as harrowing experince.
Joy Kiri is one of such. She resides in Asaba. According to her, the situation is telling “on us seriously because what we normally pay from Asaba to Ugbolu is N200.
“But now with the flood taking over the road and the diversion through the hill, which is not safe, is N500. On that hill, accidents occur regularly.
“In fact, this morning, someone died down the hill in an accident. This boat ride is safer, you just pay to them to ferry you across and take other transport.”
Also, Cynthia Otegbere said the “experience is not funny at all. This is my first time of using the canoe, it was not fun. If not for my friend I would have not entered the canoe, I was scared but she encouraged me to do it.
“Keke is an alternative but last Saturday, I witness an accident on the hill. So I was forced to use the canoe. The keke had brake failo on the hill and two people were severely injured while one was okay.”
An ice cream vendor, who identified himself as Nollywood Asking Boy, echoed the danger of using the alternative route which is the hilly path. He said the road was more of a desert, and that armed robbers operated regularly on it
