Obiano seeks FG’s assistance over 5,000 displaced flood victims

TRACKING___Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has sought the Federal Government’s intervention on alleviating the suffering of over 5,000 people displaced by flood in four local government areas of the state.

Obiano told State House Correspondents after the meeting that he was in the presidential villa to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on their predicament and appealed to him for intervention because of their loss of properties and farm produce. Obiano said:

“As usual, I come once in while to brief Mr. President on the developments we are having in Anambra state and we do have a lot of beautiful developments. We also have some that bothered me to come right now, which is the flood. “Four of my local governments, that is four out of 21 are under water now as we speak because of this flood and it affected a lot of things, properties which include farm produce and what have you.

“So, I called on Mr. President to assist us at this very crucial time being a COVID time and now, the flood we are experiencing this time around is like 2012, which is terrible. “So, he promised to do something immediately.”

On the extent of damage, he said: “We have over 5,000 people displaced and we already prepared some receptacles where we received the displaced people. But they will need help now and also need help when the water is receding because they lost their property, which majorly include their produce which was nor harvested before this flood crept in.

“I believe Mr. President will be able to assist us to be able to support these families that have been displaced in this manner.” The governor said he also discussed the issue of the 2nd Niger Bridge and the state of federal roads with the president, asking also for his intervention to fast track the ongoing construction work. He said that although half of the bridge had been accomplished, high level of water has slowed down work as the specific equipment already purchased and needed to continue the work are idling away in Germany.

Obiano said he briefed the president on the inability of the contractor handling the 2nd Niger Bridge to continue the work because of the equipment lying back in Germany. He said: “I did also apprise him on the progress so far made on the 2nd Niger Bridge. If you watch from their side, you will see that almost half of that bridge has been done.

But because the water level is very high, the contractor working in that bridge requires some equipment which they’ve already purchased long ago sitting in Germany and requires some support from Central Bank to be able to bring in those equipment. I did mention that to him and the President noted that and said he will do something about