Asaba - Olodu community in Delta, one of the towns ravaged by the recent
flood disaster, has relocated three kilometres away from their ancestral
home, a traditional ruler of the area has said.
Obi Alexander Ifechukude stated this on
Sunday in Asaba in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He described the decision as collective,
said relocation was the only option to avoid future flood disaster.
He appealed to the state and federal governments to assist the community by providing infrastructure in the new location.
Ifechukude said the community had never witnessed the magnitude of flood experienced during the recent flooding.
He said though no life was lost, but that the entire community was submerged.
"We are farmers, fishermen and hunters and ever since the days of
our fore-fathers, we have never seen nor experienced such magnitude of
flood wreck.
"As I speak, though the flood has subsided, nothing is left for my people to salvage.
"My people reasoned out that the possibility of the flood coming
back soon was most likely and they decided that they will not return to
our ancestral settlement and they have my consent.
"As I am talking to you, my palace was destroyed too and currently I have no place to operate from as a palace.’’
The monarch said the new settlement had been mapped out, while families had started erecting make-shift houses.
- NAN