Obi asks FG to declare emergency after visiting flood affected communities in Anambra

The President General (PG) of Umueri community in Anambra state, Chief Johnny Chukwudi Metchie, has tasked world leaders to fulfill their obligations and pledges on climate and environment in order to save humanity from further devastations caused by natural disasters like flood, erosion and desertification, among many others.

Chief Metchie made the call on Saturday, October 22 in Umueri when he received the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi who paid a visit to the victims of flood at the Umueri Unity Hall where the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are camped.

Obi who arrived Umueri in company of some LP chieftains like Chief Tony Nwoye and others, undertook a boat ride with Chief Metchie to see things in some parts of the affected communities.

The LP flag-bearer who donated some items like food and medicines, said he shares the pains of the people in their difficult times.

While responding, Chief Metchie who is also the African Director of the International Association of World Peace Advocates, thanked Obi for the visit, saying he came at the right time when the IDPs need both morale and material support from leaders and other well-meaning citizens and organizations.

Metchie called on the federal government to rise up to the challenges posed by the release of water from Dams by the Cameroonian authorities into Nigerian territorial waters, which he said was one of the major causes of massive flooding in parts of Nigeria every year.

He stated that Nigeria cannot continue to keep quite and do nothing as thousands of citizens of the country are killed every year while properties worth billions of naira are destroyed by flooding caused by the release of water from Cameroun.

He said: “I want to thank the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi who is an illustrious son of Anambra state for coming to give support to our people who are victims of this year’s flooding.


“I also want to use this opportunity to call on world leaders, presidents, other heads of government, international agencies like the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and others, to fulfill their obligations on climate change.

“This is because humanity is on the brink of total destruction if we continue our hostility to the environment which is the reason flooding and other natural disasters are on the increase.

“In the case of Nigeria, I call on the president, the National Assembly, governors and others leaders to as a matter of urgency, convene a summit on how to tackle the challenge posed by Cameroun which every year, releases water from Dams into Nigeria’s territory. Nigeria must not continue to keep quite and do nothing over this external aggression from our neighboring country."

“As part of counter measures, Nigeria should construct Dams within the communities bordering Cameroun like Adamawa, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and others, in order to channel the water from Cameroun Dams to other areas and save Nigeria from the perennial devastation,” he added.

Metchie also solicited for more donations of essential materials like sanitary towels, food, blankets and others to the IDPs.

In recent weeks, floods have taken over major states in Nigeria, displacing homeowners and businesses.

The impact so far has been devastating and many have in recent days been rendered homeless in states like Anambra, Kogi, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta states and more.

Farmlands have also been affected by the unfortunate development, which experts say would affect the cost price of produce in the coming months.

Meanwhile, about 500 people have died in Nigeria's worst floods in a decade and 1.4 million others been displaced from their homes since the start of the rainy season, the federal government said.

Similarly, 45,249 houses were totally damaged while 70,566 hectares of farmlands were completely destroyed.

Rhoda Ishaku Iliya, a spokesperson in the ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, made this known in a statement.