For residents of Ifite-Awka in the Awka capital territory of Anambra State, heavy rainfall has become more than an inconvenience. It has become a threat to lives, livelihoods and movement.vWith roads routinely submerged, drainage channels overwhelmed and security concerns deepening, landlords, indigenes and residents of the community have appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently come to their rescue. The latest call came after a heavy downpour swept away an unidentified woman and a tricycle operator in the area. The body of the tricycle operator was reportedly recovered about 24 hours later from a ditch around Miracle Junction, Ifite-Awka. The incident triggered a protest by tricycle operators, popularly known as Keke riders, who expressed anger over the dangerous condition of the roads and the recurring flooding.Students, residents and staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, have also lamented the worsening condition of roads around the institution, particularly the impact of flash floods that wash away soil and carry indiscriminately dumped refuse into drainage channels, causing floodwater to spill onto roads. Investigation revealed that the Rt. Hon. Oguguo Nebe Avenue, a heavily populated un-tarred road leading from Miracle Junction, is particularly vulnerable. Whenever it rains heavily, the approximately two-kilometre road is submerged, cutting off access and leaving residents, students, workers and commuters stranded. More than 40 hostels, most of them two- or three-storey buildings, are located along the avenue, with an estimated student population of about 3,000. The road also provides a link towards Mgbakwu, an agricultural community and the location of the College of Health Technology, among other communities stretching towards Isuaniocha and Achalla, headquarters of Awka North Local Council.Beyond the flooding, residents said the area has also been affected by insecurity. It was gathered that the unknown gunmen who invaded Ifite-Awka and killed some Fulani residents were believed to have gained access through the Nebe-Tamis axis, further heightening concerns over the vulnerability of the community. When The Guardian visited the area after the latest downpour, a resident, Emma Nnaemeka, described the condition of Anayo Nebe Avenue as a humanitarian and security concern, urging the state government to tar the road and construct adequate drainage channels. Nnaemeka said the deteriorating condition of the road had made movement increasingly difficult, particularly during the rainy season. Each time it rains, the road is submerged. It traps and damages vehicles and tricycles, preventing students, workers, residents and commuters from getting to their homes or offices on time,” he said. According to him, residents are sometimes forced to abandon their vehicles whenever rain begins. “You can’t go home to your house each time it rains because of the bad road. Government should come to our aid because our lives in that area are no longer safe once it rains,” he said. Nnaemeka disclosed that he had kept his car at Jesse Hotel for almost three years because he could not reliably drive it through the road leading to his residence from the Miracle Junction. “Once it rains, everywhere is dangerously flooded,” he added. Corroborating his concerns, a linguistics expert at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Professor Ihejiraka, urged the government to accelerate the rehabilitation of Anayo Nebe Avenue and other roads in Ifite-Awka and its environs. He said the poor state of the roads was having a direct impact on students and other residents, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. “Once it rains, the students can’t move and go to school again,” he said. Ihejiraka described the situation as a serious humanitarian challenge, noting that repeated flooding disrupts education and makes it difficult for children and other residents to move around safely. For residents of Ifite-Awka, the appeal is therefore not simply for a better road. They want a route that remains passable when the rain comes, drainage that can carry stormwater away, and a community where residents, students and commuters do not have to choose between staying indoors and risking their lives on flooded roads.Their message to the state government is simple: before the next heavy downpour, something must be done. (The Guardian)