6-yr-old boy dies, as flood sacks ex-milad’s wife, others in Aba

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA— A six-year-old boy has been reportedly killed while three others were rescued as flood swept through Garden Avenue, Nwankpa, and adjoining streets along Okigwe Road area of  Aba, Abia State due to heavy rain in the area.

Vanguard also gathered that no fewer than 20  families, including the widow of former military administrator of Cross River State, Navy Captain Edet Archibong, Rosemary, were sacked by flood.

Narrating their ordeal during the visit of the member representing Aba North/Aba South federal constituency, Ossy Prestige, Mrs Archibong said the area had become prone to flood due to shoddy work done by the construction company handling the rehabilitation of Garden Avenue and adjoining roads.

She explained that the flood submerged the ground floors of all storey buildings and bungalows located in the area leading to the death of a child while property worth millions of naira were also lost and appealed to the lawmaker to come to their aid.

She said: “There have been no flood in this area; it only started since the construction company did a shoddy job, which has now redirected water to Garden Avenue and adjoining streets whenever it rains.

“Rain water from Okigwe Road now flows to Garden Avenue and adjoining streets as a result of the shoddy work done by the contractor. Three days ago, a child died and two others were rescued from the flood.

“Many families lost their property; some have started relocating. All my tenants have relocated; I have nowhere to lay my head. Anytime the clouds started gathering, people will start running away from this area.We are appealing to the government to urgently do something about this problem before we lose more lives and property.”

Speaking at the occasion, the lawmaker condemned the quality of work done on Garden Avenue and adjoining streets and blamed the flooding of the area on the failure of the construction company to build drainage channels in the area, as specified in the contract.

He threatened to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, if the construction firm fails to return to site to address the situation, stressing that the two kilometre road contract was one of his constituency projects awarded to Eme Technical Company for asphalting and construction of drainages, through the Anambra/Imo River Basin Development Authority, at the cost of N40 million.

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