Residents of Ogbeozoma, a community in Okpanam — a suburb of Asaba, the Delta State capital — have been left stranded and distressed following a torrential downpour on Sunday that wreaked havoc across the area.
The heavy rainfall, which occurred late Sunday night, triggered massive gully erosion that completely cut off the main access road linking the community, home to over 1,000 households, including numerous civil servants and traders.
Voice of the people (VOP) reports that several vehicles fell into the gully that now splits the road in half, making movement nearly impossible and posing serious danger to lives and property.
A resident, Mr. Kingsley Ifechukwude, who spoke to VOP, said his car was swallowed by the gully as he attempted to leave the community during the rain.
“As you can see, my car fell into the ditch while I was trying to find my way out during the rain. This is what we face every year. The gully has taken over the center of the road, and once a vehicle gets stuck, no other vehicle can pass,” he said.
According to him, residents and landlords have made several efforts to fix the road, but the situation has now worsened beyond their capacity.
“If you have the courage to walk the three-kilometer stretch, you’ll see how badly erosion has eaten into the road and even threatened nearby buildings. This is life-threatening. If the government does not intervene urgently, many houses may collapse as their foundations are now exposed,” he added.
Another resident, Mrs. Esther Okafor, a roadside petty trader, explained how floodwaters from surrounding hills wash through the community with destructive force during every rainfall.
“Each time it rains, the flood carries away portions of the road and deposits sand that blocks smaller passageways, especially along Nwanikpa Road — the old Okpanam–Issele-Azagba route. This used to be a major commercial route linking Asaba to Issele-Uku and Benin, but it has been abandoned for years,” she said.
She noted that despite reports of the road contract being awarded by the state government, residents are yet to see tangible progress.
“If the government truly rehabilitates this road, life will improve for us, and businesses will bounce back,” she said.
Meanwhile, NAN gathered that the Delta State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank-assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), has concluded plans to address the erosion menace across the Ogbeozoma-Amachai-Vanguard axis, which affects both Oshimili North and South Local Government Areas.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration has reportedly paid its counterpart funding to secure donor financing for the project, which is expected to commence fully after the current rainy season.
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