By Abdullahi M. Gulloma, Abuja
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state Tuesday sought President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention to alleviate the suffering of over 5,000 people displaced by floods in four local governments of the state.
The governor disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting with the president in Abuja. “I come once in a while to brief Mr. President on the developments we are having in Anambra state and we do have a lot of beautiful developments and challenges.
“Four of my local governments, out of 21 are under water now as we speak, because of flood and it has affected a lot of things, properties which include farm produce and what have you.
“So, I called on Mr. President to assist us at this very crucial time being a COVID time and now, the flood we are experiencing this time around is like 2012 which is terrible. So, he promised to do something immediately.
“We have over 5,000 people displaced and we already prepared some receptacles where we received the displaced people. But they will need help now and also need help when the water is receding because they lost their property which majorly include their produce which was nor harvested before this flood crept in. I believe Mr. President will be able to assist us to be able to support these families that have been displaced in this manner,” he said.
The governor said he also appealed to the president to intervene in addressing issues concerning the 2nd Niger Bridge and the state of federal roads.
He said although half of the bridge had been accomplished, high level of water has slowed down work as the specific equipment already purchased and needed to continue the work are idling away.
The governor said he briefed the president on the inability of the contractor handling the 2nd Niger bridge to continue the work because of the equipment lying back in Germany. “I did also apprise him on the progress so far made on the 2nd Niger Bridge. If you watch from their side, you will see that almost half of that bridge has been done.
“But because the water level is very high, the contractor working on that bridge requires some equipment which they’ve already purchased long ago but in Germany and requires some support from Central Bank to be able to bring in those equipment. I did mention that to him and the President noted that and said he would do something about that.
“We did discuss some other federal roads that are in very bad shape, about six of them and I requested Mr. President to see if they can go into their budget as they prepare for the budget of next year, to see whether those roads can go into their budget.
“I did also talk to him that work has slowed down almost to zero on the Onitsha-Enugu expressway. I understand there are little issues, I don’t know what it is but he also promised to look into that. Mr. President is doing well in Anambra. You know he built the Zik Masoleum that took 23 years to build; the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, he finished that road as PTF chairman and he came back as president to come and fix that road again. So, that’s an important thing to remember that he did it before and he is the fellow doing it again,” he said.
The governor appealed to the president to look into the issue of Federal University of Education, Aguleri, already approved by the Senate to enable it take off. “The other point was on the Federal University of Education in Aguleri. Anambra North Senatorial District does not have any federal institution at all. Other two senatorial districts have two or three federal institutions.
“It is the place I just told you is flooded – Anambra West, Anambra East, the whole of Anambra West is under water now, half of Anambra East is under Water, Ogbaru area is under water. So, the Senate graciously approved and wrote to Mr. President to assent to the bill that they passed. This letter was written 19th September 2019. So, Mr. President has agreed to quickly acquiesce to that so that this institution can move on. “I’ve paid compensation to the land owners and I’ve started the fencing of the massive property that is. And am doing the gatehouse of the institution. All I require is Mr. President’s support by acquiescing to the recommendations of the Clerk of the National Assembly on 19th September 2019,” he said.