Flood Ravages Orlu Community, Submerges Houses At Umunna

The contractor handling Uzoubi-Umuna Orlu road, Imo State Ebi-hitech
Construction Company, Bishop Oamen recently escaped lynching as angry
youths of the community attacked him over the erosion menace that
struck the place, yesterday after the heavy down pour.

The contractor who is from Edo state is said to have caused the flood
that swept away about four houses, and shops over what was termed
"inexperienced job" by Bishop Oamen, Director General of Ebi-hitech
construction company.

Trumpeta reports that the contractor started work on the road for the
past 3 days without initial consultation to the monarch, youth leaders
or the villagers to ascertain the major ways of combating the
occurrence of such natural disaster. Unfortunately on Wednesday,
Bishop Oamen went to the site with his 2 machines and cleared the sand
blocks the villagers and residents of the area used to check erosion
incase of such down pour. Unfortunately, during process rain started.

However, the victims of the erosion managed to escape the flooding to
avoid being drowned, but their property worth millions naira and their
livestock were destroyed, while building collapsed due to the heavy
downpour.

Meanwhile, the youths of the community who were affected by the flood
furiously wanted to descend on the contractor for his ignorance but
were stopped by the youth leader of the community Chief Columbus
Nwadike. Narrating the situation to Trumpeta, Chief Nwadike regretted
the inconvenience of the erosion, stating that the Governor Okorocha
should not be blamed because he has good intentions to construct the
roads of Imo state for the good of all, blame should go to some of the
contractors with little or no experience in construction work. The
youth leader have calmed the angry youths and urged the contractor, to
look for a suitable means of preventing further occurrence. He urged
him to do so before the commencement of another down pour to avert
more disaster

Later, speaking in the palace of the traditional ruler where the
community took the contractor to, the monarch, H.R.H, Eze B.C Okereke
frowned at the ugly incident and blamed the contractor for commencing
work in an area without getting in touch with inhabitants of the area.
Eze Okereke however pleaded with the youths and victims to see the
occurrence as a sacrifice and not to make war with the contractor.

Some of the flood victims whose shops, houses and poultry were
destroyed lamented that before the contractor started the work, they
tried to educate him and let him know the topography of the area but
he refused to listen to them. They lamented why the Governor did not
give the job to the first contracting company that did almost the
roads of Orlu metropolis which people were satisfied with.

"The only construction company we feel that would have done the work
effectively is JP contracting company. He knows our (Umuna) topography
and Orlu."