- Work on Yenagoa – Oporoma road in progress
Residents in Yenagoa metropolis , the Bayelsa Sate capital, have cried out for intervention as flood takes over the environment.
Areas affected by the flood were streets opposite Medical University, leading to the private residence of the state governor Senator Douye Diri and state Commissioner of Sports Development, Daniel Igali.
The areas were over taken by flood due to daily downpour and poorly constructed road without gutters on both sides.
Even most of the internal roads that have gutters on both sides have no drainage to empty the water.
Recall that the Nigeria Meterological Agency ( NIMET) had predicted that about 19 states in the country will witness flash flooding this year with Bayelsa State among them.
An independent tour by the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Bayelsa State penultimate Monday had taken the team to the Imgbi area of the state where the residents lamented of their untold hardship orchestrated by on going road construction.
A resident who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization said the new poorly constructed road was responsible for the flood.
She said: “This our compound is always flooded each time rain falls. If you come here when rain is falling, you will definitely swim inside the compound. Each time it rains, all our property will be soaked and we will be carrying them up and down to sun them. We don’t have any other place to go. That is why we are still here.
“My husband is late. I’m the only person taking care of my children. That is why I’m still here, if not, every other persons have packed out of the compound but I don’t have money to pay for another house. This compound is always flooded after rain but it doesn’t mean anything because immediately the rain stops, it goes away but now that road passed, we were celebrating that we have got road saying Douye Diri, God bless you but now if rain falls, everywhere will be flooded.
“If rain falls like this, we raise our things up including our foams and we will be inside the house until it stops and then we will start bailing water to outside .This whole thing is happening like this because of this road, everywhere has been blocked. I have been here for so many years. It was not like this before this road construction.
“We are calling on the government to come and help us. We have small children. We don’t have money to buy new foams but sometimes, the ones we have will be soaked and we will sleep on the floor before you know another rain has fallen again and the circle continues. I’m praying that God will help me so that I will leave here. Let God send a helper to come and help me.”
Another resident of the area, Madam Preye Jonah said that the flood is also disturbing them in their area but testified that their own always comes from the Canal at the back of where she is staying adding that “if the Canal fills up, the water runs into the street.
Also, the team visited the Yenagoa/Oporoma Road leading to Southern Ijaw Local and noticed that the level of work there has reached an advanced stage with the bridge almost crossing to the other side of Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government.
A source at the site hinted that the road has about 56 beams at this side of the road and another 56 beams to cross to the other side of the road disclosing that in the next 18 months, the road will be in use.
But all efforts to get confirmation from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure proved abortive after several efforts made by the team.