Residents of Ogiso community in Oredo Local Government Area have appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki to speed up the construction of the Ogiso-Osunde road before the rainy season.
Some of the residents, who spoke to Niger Delta Trust, said the appeal became necessary in view of their past harrowing experiences whenever it rains, especially during the peak of the season.
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One of the residents, Madam Tessy, a beer parlour operator, said it has always been a disaster for them whenever it rains.
“Landlords and tenants couldn’t access their homes during the rainy season because of the flood.
“Businesses were the worse hit because once it rains, the day’s business will close automatically because customers will abandon us to other places as they would not want to swim to spend their money.’’
She said they were happy when the government started the construction of the road, “but our fear now is whether the work will be completed before the rainy season sets in.
“They have finished the construction of the drainage but we don’t really know what will happen because rainy season has not really started.”
She appealed to the state government to speed up the construction in order to complete it so that “we would be at peace during the peak of the rainy season”.
Also speaking, Osaretin Idemudia, said in the past, residents of the area used to go to bed with one eye closed whenever it rains
“Before now the Ogiso-Osunde road used to be in a sorry state.
“Some landlords have abandoned their homes because of the flood,”
“The road is under construction but the problem we have now is that the construction company wants to abort the contract halfway instead of taking it to the river.’’
He appealed to Governor Obaseki to take the construction to the Ikpoba river for the benefit of all the residents.
Another resident, Osagie Erabor, said he has been turned to a tenant on account of the flood.
He said whenever it rained he would leave and go and rent a place and come back at the end of the season.
However, Mrs Osariemen Uti was not so lucky as the construction of the drainage was stopped at her house.
“My worry now is that they stopped the road in front of my house. We have been suffering every year during the rainy season, but we were happy when they came for the construction of the road only to be disappointed when they stopped it halfway instead of taking it to the river.”
