Traders at the Afia Ekwe Building Materials market, Ogidi/Ogbunike, Idemili North/Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State are counting their losses, as goods worth millions of naira were destroyed, following the submerging of the market by flood.
The flood which was occasioned by Friday’s downpour, came from Ogidi and Ogbunike axis.
Narrating their ordeal, one of the victims, Okechukwu Edwin, told newsmen that they came to the market yesterday and found out that the entire Afia Ekwe Building Materials market has been submerged by flood caused by Friday night’s heavy downpour.
According to him, there is a drainage system that passes through the market, which has been blocked with refuse.
He noted that the drainage system is narrow and needs to be expanded to contain the volume of flood that comes from Ogidi and Ogbunike communities.
Okechukwu expressed worry that the leadership of the market is not interested in the welfare of the traders but only interested in the collection of money from traders.
Another victim, Chief Chinonso Okafor, while crying for government intervention, blamed the incident on the attachment built on top of the drainage system, which he said blocked the flood from flowing through the drainage system and thereby submerging the market.
“That attachment was built on top of the drainage and it blocked the gutter and resulted in the flood submerging the market whenever there is rainfall. Those places blocked should be reopened. The gutter crossed the expressway but was blocked.
“This flooding has not been happening until they blocked the drainage at the attachment line and the one at the expressway. We urge Governor Soludo to come to our rescue by ensuring that these blocked portions are reopened,” he pleaded.
When contacted, the Chairman of the market, Hon. Adinnu Onyechi described the flooding as natural disaster which occurred annually, even as he decried the magnitude of the damages on the goods.
“We experience the flood yearly and the last we witnessed the devastating effect was in 2019 before this very one that happened recently.
“When we came this morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes, the destruction of goods was so devastating.
“The cause of this is that the drainage system that passes through the market is so narrow that it couldn’t contain the volume of flood from Ogidi and Ogbunike communities. We don’t have the huge sum of money for this project of expanding the drainage system.
“We appeal to the state government to come to our rescue. Goods destroyed by the flood are worth millions of naira. The victims are crying and pleading for assistance from the government,” he stated.
