By Amauche Agbo, Abakaliki
Following the heavily down pour on weekend, residents of Azuoto Okpuitumo community in Abakaliki Local Government Area have cried for assistance as their rice and yam farmlands were destroyed by unfortunate flood disaster.
The development has subjected the people to untold hardship, thereby causing perpetual hunger among the villagers as there is no way to access their farm land for over seven days.
It was gathered that the village is surrounded by Ebonyi and Oto rivers respectively in which water usually overflow causing destruction of crops.
It was further gathered that the villagers witness flood two to three times every month from June-October annually and presently there is no accessible road to the village.
Consequently, the only road leading to the village from Okpuitumo Community is blocked by Oto river and every efforts by the villagers and Okpuitumo Community to construct bridge in the river for over ten years ago proved unsuccessful.
Narrating his ordeal, one of the victims Chief Alfred Agbo who described the situation as very worrisome, noted that this year’s flood was the biggest the village ever witnessed, adding that his farm including rice, cassava and yam were completely destroyed by the flood disaster.
Other victims ncluding Mrs Falicia Akpa, Mr Sunday Agbo, Mr Simon Nwogha, Mr Godwin Ogbonna, Mr Joseph Ota among others hinted they labored in vain every year in the village as a result of excessive flood.
According to them, the development has badly affected the sponsorship of their children in the school, hence farming remains their only source of income.
“We now follow Ndi-nwogba Amachi village in Amachi Community as the only alternative way to enter our village which cost us alot”.
The victims further called on Federal and State Governments and well spirited individuals to come to their aid to ameliorate their sufferings.
They equally urged Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State to assisting them by constructing the Oto bridge to ease their means of livelihood.
