Several houses have been submerged and residents rendered homeless after a heavy downpour in Achusa Community in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, leaving behind a trail of destruction and hardship.
Residents described the flood as one of the worst in recent years, as it sacked entire households, destroyed property worth millions of naira and forced victims to take refuge on higher grounds and with relatives.
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, visited parts of the flood-affected area and dispatched a high-powered delegation to the affected community for an on-the-spot assessment to ascertain the extent of the damage, with a view to proffering a solution.
The delegation was led by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Chief Solomon Iorpev, alongside the Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Mr Odoh Ugwu; the Commissioner for Works and Housing, Mr Kuma Iyenge; and the General Manager of the Benue State Urban Development Board, Mr Ter Mede.
Speaking during the visit, Hon. Chief Iorpev said the Alia-led government was deeply concerned about the plight of the affected residents and assured them that decisive steps were being taken to address the perennial flooding in Achusa.
He disclosed that Governor Hyacinth Alia, when he visited the scene a couple of days earlier, was visibly touched by the level of devastation and directed relevant ministries to immediately move in and find a lasting solution.
Findings from the joint assessment revealed that most of the affected houses were illegally built on natural waterways and flood plains, thereby obstructing the free flow of water.
The team, however, noted that efforts to permanently address the problem were already underway. According to the team, road construction work from the Hotel Lucia axis through Achusa was in top gear, with standard gutters being constructed to channel stormwater down to the River Benue.
“The design for the drainage in this area is standard, and when completed, it will greatly reduce flooding,” Mr Iyenge, Commissioner for Works, explained.
As an immediate solution, the government directed that all buildings erected on water channels already marked in the affected areas would be demolished to create a right of way for water.
The government also said that compensation would be paid to deserving landlords whose properties may be affected in the course of opening up the waterways, but warned that it would not condone illegal development.
The delegation further warned against erecting structures without proper approval from the Urban Development Board and said it had started sensitising the community on the dangers of building on waterways.
Conflicting interests were, however, noted. While residents acknowledged that flooding had persisted in Achusa for years due to poor drainage and indiscriminate building, they appealed for compensation to cut across all landlords, irrespective of whether their buildings were adjudged illegal or not.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Prof. Iorhen Yechor and Hon. Terfa Abe lamented the annual ordeal of the people, noting that many had lost everything to the flood.
They appealed to Governor Alia’s administration to be humane in its approach, ensure that no victim was left out of the compensation plan, and expedite action on the Hotel Lucia-Achusa road and drainage project to save the community from total submergence.
As of the time of filing this report, water was still receding in most parts of Achusa, while victims counted their losses.
