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BY SUNNY A. DAVID
Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke has counseled victims of flooding displaced from their homes to bear their present situation with patience and hope in God for a better tomorrow.
The Archbishop who stated this yesterday when visited the Holding camp at Crowther Memorial Primary School, Onitsha housing the affected persons, noted that the church shares in their present ordeal because whatever affects them, also affects the entire people of God in Onitsha.
This came as witnesses revealed that more that 21 corpses have so far been recovered from last Friday’s boat mishap from the area.
Both the Nigerian Red Cross Society and State Emergency Management Authority of Anambra State are still jointly battling to recover all the victims of the mishap, both those alive and those dead, according to the State Chairman of Red Cross, Prof. Peter Katchy.
Archbishop Okeke who donated 150 tubers of yam, 30 bags of Rice, 5 bags of beans, 5 cartons of tomatoes, 5 bags of noodles, 50 liters of groundnut oil, 50 liters of palm oil, 10- pieces of sleeping mats, two bags of potatoes and assorted biscuits and toiletries to the victims, prayed that the rampaging flood will not last long but recede soonest so that the people can return to their homes and resume their normal lives.
The Archbishop expressed hope that more public spirited humanitarians will come to their aid and ameliorate their plight so that even toddlers among the displaced persons will not feel the impact of the devastating situation but be insulated from the harsh realities.
Archbishop Okeke who was accompanied by the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Prudentus Aroh and retinue of other priests also prayed that the inmates will not lack food and water and that there won’t be any outbreak of diseases at the camp until the present challenge fades away.
Transition Chairman of Anambra West Local Government Area, Mr. Felix Ikechi in a response lauded the timely intervention of the Archbishop, and said that government is already overstretched having put up several intervention programmes since the flood situation escalated one week ago hence their excitement to receive support from external sources.
Mr. Ikechi assured that the items brought by the Archbishop will be judiciously utilized while some of the items will also be extended to other displaced persons from the area quartered at another camp in Aguleri.
Manager of the camp, Mr. Kenneth Obalum said the Archbishop’s kind gesture has brought great relief to the teeming number of displaced persons in the camp.
Meanwhile, People of Ogbakuba Community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State are counting their losses as flood waters have submerged the area and displaced residents.
A team of reporters who visited the area observed that the flood has submerged houses, business premises, farmlands, schools, churches, markets and other institutions including the Palace of the traditional ruler of the community.
The team also saw heaps of tubers of yam, cassava and potatoes along the road, some of them prematurely harvested while some families were seen peeling cassava tubers possibly to make the best out of the unfortunate situation.
It was also observed that various parts of the Uga junction-Atani-Ogbakuba-Ossomala-Ogwuikpele road have equally been submerged, making movements in and out of the area difficult.
