Flood: Obi visits IDPs while Metchie challenges FG, world leaders on climate change

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

Johnny Chukwudi Metchie, President General (PG) of Umueri Community in Anambra State, has tasked world leaders to fulfill their climate and environment obligations and pledges in order to save humanity from further devastation caused by natural disasters such as flood, erosion, and desertification, among others.

Metchie made the call on Saturday in Umueri when he received the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, who paid a visit to flood victims at the Umueri Unity Hall, where the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are camped.

Obi, who arrived in Umueri with some LP chieftains, went on a boat ride with Chief Metchie to see what was going on in some of the affected communities.

While responding, Chief Metchie, who is also the African Director of the International Association of World Peace Advocates, thanked Mr. Peter Obi for his visit, saying the presidential candidate arrived at a critical juncture in the IDPs’ lives, when they required both moral and material support from leaders and other well-meaning citizens and organizations.

Metchie urged the Federal Government to address the challenges posed by the Cameroonian authorities’ release of water from dams into Nigerian territorial waters, which he described as one of the major causes of massive flooding in parts of Nigeria every year.

He stated that Nigeria cannot continue to remain silent and do nothing while thousands of citizens are killed each year and properties worth billions of Naira are destroyed by flooding caused by Cameroon’s release of water.

“I would like to thank the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, an illustrious son of Anambra State, for coming to support our people who have been affected by this year’s flooding.”

“I also want to take this opportunity to urge world leaders, presidents, other heads of government, and international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and others to fulfill their climate change obligations.” This is because humanity is on the verge of annihilation if we continue to be hostile to the environment, which is why flooding and other natural disasters are on the rise.

“In the case of Nigeria, I urge the President, the National Assembly, Governors, and other leaders to convene a summit to discuss how to address the challenge posed by Cameroon, which releases water from dams into Nigerian territory every year.” Nigeria must not remain silent and do nothing in response to our neighbor’s external aggression.

“As part of countermeasures, Nigeria should build dams in Cameroonian communities such as Adamawa, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and others to channel water from Cameroonian dams to other areas and save Nigeria from perpetual devastation.”