Story by CrossRiverWatch admin
Leaders and residents of two communities in Obubra Local Government of
Cross River State have called for urgent aid from the State Government,
public spirited individuals and organisations.
The two communities, Ejah and Ijegha-Orangha have been overtaken by flood
waters from torrential rains that villagers told crossriverwatch, started
since early Tuesday morning.
A crossriverwatch reporter saw farmlands, houses and livestock submerged
in the floods. Devastated and confused villagers, mostly women and
children, were also seen hurriedly packing their remaining belongings with
no immediate hope of where to move to.
An unidentified elderly woman who was sobbing uncontrollably told
crossriverwatch that “we don’t know where we are going to start from. Our
farmlands, livestocks and homes are gone. Who will help us? We are old and
weak. How are we going to start all over again in this life? We just
thought that God will be kind to allow us die in our poverty here in
peace. Who could have told us that something worse than our present
squalour was awaiting us. This is traumatic”
The Representative of Obubra Constituency in the Cross River State House
of Assembly, Hon. Alex Irek was however on the ground to commiserate with
the communities. He urged them to “remain calm and be assured that
government will not leave you alone. We will do everything within the
ability of government to make sure that your losses are mitigated and
residents are resettled to begin their normal lives as soon as possible”
Hon. Irek thanked God that no life was lost but regretted that properties,
farmlands and livestock worth millions of Naira were destroyed by the
floods. He donated N500,000 (five hundred thousand Naira) to the
communities for the procurement of emergency relief materials which are
expected to arrive tomorrow.
Crossriverwatch also gathered from a source in the Governor’s office in
Calabar that the State Governor, Liyel Imoke has ordered the Director of
the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency CRSEMA, Mr. Vincent Akwa
to immediately report at the scene of the floods and ascertain the level
of damage with a view to seeing what immediate actions government can take
to bring the situation under control. As at the time of filing this report
Mr. Akwa was said to be on his way.