By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Barely five days after a boat mishap claimed sixteen lives in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, seven communities in the area have become trapped following the collapse of the only bridge connecting them to other communities as well as the rest of the state.

The affected communities include, Mputu, Ossomala, Umunankwo, Ogwuaniocha, Obeagwe, Akili Ogidi and Ogwuikpele.

According to residents in the area the bridge which its structure started wobbling since last Friday's boat accident finally caved in the morning of Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

An outboard engine boat conveying about 85 passengers, mainly traders, to the nearby Nkwo Ogbakuba market, had soon after take-off at Umunankwo suffered engine failure, leading to a crash against the barriers of the bridge.

Lamenting the sad situation, an indigene of the area who gave his name as Joseph Okedu said that apart from the visit by the Transition Committee Chairman of Ogbaru, Hon. Paschal Aniegbuna, to access the extent of damage, that no other government official has come from Awka, the state capital to examine the crash site.

He added: “In fact, we have long been cut off, without anyone making any appreciable effort to assuage our pains.

“This is the only road that connects all communities in Ogbaru, but surprisingly it cut into two somewhere around Ofia Umuoga, between Ogbakuba and Umunankwo about two weeks ago, only for the governor to stop at Odekpe very far from the trouble spot.”

With the latest incident, people from the affected communities are now left with water transportation as the only means of moving around – with the attendant risks of accidents, given the huge tidal waves of the flood.

Commenting on the latest development, former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, reiterated his earlier calls on both the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to redouble efforts in providing succour for the people of Ogbaru.

“In fact, the string of calamities currently being experienced by my people of Ogbaru goes beyond palliatives and relief materials by SEMA and NEMA. We are in dire straits and the Anambra State Government must step in and declare an emergency.

“The Commissioner for Environment Mr Felix Odumegwu, and the governor has paid a visit to almost all the affected areas. It would be improper for one to say that the local government area was abandoned.

“We have vising teams that have been frequenting those flood affected areas set up by the state government and we don’t just go there empty handed.

“We go with relief materials and medical intervention teams who provide health care services to the victims at the Internally Displaced Persons camps across the state.

“The local government chairman of Ogbaru is also on ground and has the mandate of Gov Charles Soludo to take charge and report same to him.

“The case of Ogbaru is a special one and government is taking all steps to save our people from this disaster,” he said

Meanwhile, Governor Soludo in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced transportation of relief materials and other medical facilities to the area.

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