Flood sacked residents in Owerri metropolis

The situation left a sympathetic tale not only around the Works Layout but also in other areas including the Odunna Crescent. Ironically, these areas are within the Government Reserved Area (GRA) meant for the most influential in the society. No doubt the type of grand houses in this area speaks volume of the kind people […]

The situation left a sympathetic tale not only around the Works Layout but also in other areas including the Odunna Crescent. Ironically, these areas are within the Government Reserved Area (GRA) meant for the most influential in the society. No doubt the type of grand houses in this area speaks volume of the kind people that live there but unfortunately poor roads network contradicts the worth of these properties. Now, the properties are being over-run by flood.
Already many have been rendered homeless and properties worth millions of Naira lost to the flood.
For many years, the flood has devastated residents of the area with past administrations promising to check the problem but never did. They only pay lips service to the issue.
As it stands now, these affected areas have lost accessibility and have become a hide-out for miscreants and hoodlums.
However, for world renowned Gynaecologist, Dr. Josiah Odunna, whom the crescent was named after expressed dismay that the area is being neglected by the government over the years. He said that even with his contributions to the society, the government ought to have honoured him by rehabilitating the roads in the area and check the annual floods.
It was gathered that for now, Dr. Odunna hardly can access palatial residence built in the area and had to live in his farm house in Owerri and sometimes stay at his home town of Ochii Ogwa, about 25 kilometres from Owerri metropolis.
Dr. Odunna said he had made many representations to the government of the state but to no avail.  According to him, the appeals were presented right from the times of Chief Evans Enwerem in 1992 to the present administration.
He regretted that with his high status, an elder statesman and a patriot of repute, he is still talking of the environmental hazards of his residential road, a road the government magnanimously named after him.
But the problem of flooding is not restricted to the GRA only but other parts of Owerri too as in such areas as Ikenegbu, Douglas, Weatherall, Okigwe road among others where the rains has sacked residents. Even at Douglas road where the Ekeukwu Owerri market is situated, trading unfortunately goes on under heavy water.
Nonetheless, the issue of flooding at Works Layout and other parts of Owerri should be checked urgently by creating good drainages and roads before the whole capital city is submerged under water.