By Ambrose Ologide
Three days of heavy downpours in Warri South and Uvwie Local Government Areas have left most parts of the areas flooded.
Residents and traders of the Igbudu Market and neighbouring Lower Erejuwa Motor Spare Market in the Warri metropolis have cried out over the menace caused by the flooding.
Residents in some parts Alaka area in Effurun have also bemoaned the flood menace.
The southern section of Igbudu, the biggest market in Delta State was in a sordid state when journalists visited the area.
The major roads in the area were submerged by dirty water from the flood.
The Chairman of Igbudu Unit 11, a host community of the popular market, High Chief Julius Tobore Edafiadjebre, complained that residents of the area have been under siege of flood since the recent rainfall.
He stated that prior to the constant rainfall, residents have made efforts in preventing flooding in the area adding that part of the efforts was regular cleaning of drains in the area.
Edafiadjebre who is the Unuovwodo of Otovwodo (Agbassa) Community disclosed that he personally partook in the last Delta State monthly environmental sanitation exercise and that he ensured that residents and traders in the affected areas of the market did the same “But as you can see, our efforts were not good enough”.
The President General of the Igbudu Market Traders Association, Comrade Brume Kugbere spoke in the same vein as he also complained that the flood had caused disruption in trading in the market.
“We have been recording low sales due to the flood,” he added.
Similarly, the Vice Chairman of the neighbouring Lower Erejuwa Motor Spareparts Market, Mr Emmanuel Emeka Ogbu also complained that the flood had scared customers from the popular motor spare parts market.
Mr Ogbu like the other two respondents identified the blocked carnal that linked the southern section of Igbudu Market to Lower Erejuwa Road as the major cause of the flood menace.
The carnal was filled to the brim with overgrown weeds and refuse at the time of filing this report.
The three respondents appealed to the Delta State Government to clear the carnal in order to solve the perennial flood menace in the area.
While in Effurun, the link road (Post Office Road) between Effurun/Sapele and PTI has completely flooded with water no thanks to the three-day downpour.
The Acting Unuevworo of Uvwie Kingdom, High Chief Hope Akasa, a resident of the area who spoke to newsmen on the flood issue, appealed to relevant authorities to find a lasting solution to the problem in the area.
