Ufuma, Anambra community, laments the collapse of the only bridge linking it to other parts of the state and beyond, on account of heavy rains, penultimate week, Special Correspondent, OKEY MADUFORO, writes.
Nature literally bared its fangs on Anambra State, penultimate week, when a heavy downpour swept across major cities and towns in an exercise that lasted a whole day.
While it rained, commercial and human activities were disrupted and residents were trapped in their respective homes for hours.
At a time, in fact, the rain subsided, but later continued, leading to the over-flooding of most communities in the state.
By the time the downpour was over the next day, there were incidents of buildings collapsing in Awka, the capital city, and vehicles submerged by flood while at least three persons were confirmed dead.
Ufuma community in Orumba North Local Government Area, had its own share of the disaster when an old bridge linking the town to four other communities in Orumba South Local Government Area up to Isuochi in Abia State collapsed as a result of flooding.
Also affected was the untarred road in the community that was washed off by the flood. Farmlands and economic trees were equally ravaged in a manner that was unprecedented in the annals of the community.
The extent of the damage occasioned by the flood saw the former first Vice President-General of Ufuma Progressive Union (UPU), Chukwuemeka Nebe, making distress calls to relevant authorities.
In his lamentation, he said the road leading to the bridge known as Ajali-Nawfija-Ufuma-Ogbunka-Isuochi Road had been rendered unusable, as the flood had created deep gullies at its centre and shoulders.
Nebe told TheNiche: “The rain was so much that we thought that the entire village had been wiped off. When we came out in the afternoon, we could not even visit the next kindred because of the heavy flood.
“The flood in Ufuma also moved down to the river at Umueji-Umuanoka kindred where the bridge is, and carried along crops from our farms and emptied them into the river.
“Later that evening, commercial motorcycle operators from Umuji village came to tell us that the only bridge linking us had collapsed and that their brothers and sisters had been trapped.
“About 2,000 families have been cut off by the collapsed bridge. We and the Orumba North Local Government Council have been making effort at finding ways of assisting them in their current predicament.”
The chairman of Orumba North Local Government Area, Okey Elekwe, also noted that the road that leads to the bridge had been badly affected, adding that in no distant time work would commence on it.
“This road is called Ajali-Nawfija-Ufuma Ogbunka Road that links Isuochi town in Abia State. We in the council are currently making efforts at rehabilitating the 2,000 displaced families.
“We urge the state government to commence palliative measures aimed at putting both the road and the bridge in good use pending the reconstruction of the road and the bridge,” he said.
Elekwe lamented that Ufuma town is one of the food baskets of the state, stressing that the reconstruction of the road and the bridge would help the rural farmers evacuate their agricultural produce.
The damaged bridge, TheNiche learnt, was constructed in1950 by local bricklayers who saw the need for the other parts of Ufuma town to be linked with their kinsmen.
Confirming this report, a football club proprietor, Raphael Nwankwo, said: “I can recall vividly how two bricklayers in our town assembled materials to construct that bridge. They were not paid for it. It was a mere community service and ever since we have been using the bridge.”
Secretary-General of Umuji-Ufuma where the 2,000 families were affected, Dr. Okoli Ikechukwu, told TheNiche that the road was to be reconstructed by the last administration, adding, however, that Governor Willie Obiano has promised to sustain the effort.
“The road had already been designed before Governor Willie Obiano came into government. He has assured us that work will soon commence both on the road and on the collapsed bridge,” he remarked.
This may not be the last of incidents of flooding and destruction of basic infrastructure in Anambra, especially as the rains are not over yet, apprehensive analysts have remarked. This, they say, is on account of the ecological challenges in the state.
However, the Commissioner for Environment, Evarist Uba, announced that “the Governor has put measures in place to check flooding and gully erosion in the state”, adding that all buildings illegally constructed along the flood places would be removed, to ensure free flow of flood.
Nwaebili further noted that all on-going road projects in the state would be completed with drains, to avert future occurrences. He urged victims of flood disaster in the state not to lose sleep over the matter.