It was a very bitter experience on Saturday’s night, at one of the major roads in Owerri, Imo State capital as a prominent son of the state, the publisher of Daily Nigeria Horn Newspaper, High Chief Bright Chimezie Njoku narrowly escaped death by flood, following the deluge of rain.
The downpour which came speedily and heavily without any notice, as people were taken aback at its negative impact, left many in utter devastation, in the Municipality of Owerri.
Consequently, a clarion call has been made to Sen. Hope Uzodinma, the Governor of Imo State to hastily call the contractor handling World Bank Road project to order, as the said spot has overtime, proven a death trap to inhabitants of the state, during the rains.
Narrating his gory experience yesterday, in Owerri, the famous Publisher lamented that he nearly met his untimely death on Saturday’s night, at World Bank Roundabout, close to Umuguma Specialist Hospital.
It is no longer news that the heavy rainfall which began at exactly 5:43pm jeopardized so many lives, as people from different vicinities have different unpleasant stories to tell. Some major roads in the city of Owerri were impassible, hence motorists whose cars were already submerged in the flood, were compelled to pack their vehicles and walk through the river-like flood, alongside commuters with their trousers rolled up to their tighs.
This is a pathetic story of Chief Bright Njoku who was stuck in the flood yesterday, driving through Umuguma Specialist Hospital with his wife. His was indeed, a sorry situation, as he and his wife had waited expectantly in the car for the rain to subside so he could have his medication as home but disappointed, as it rained hysterically up until the stroke of 10:pm.
According to High Chief, after sitting glued to the car for 3-hours in anticipation of a calm weather on that fateful Saturday’s night, he decided to trek down to his house but luck ran out of him.
He said: “I noticed that I must take my drugs at some point as recommended by my Nurse, so I decided to leave my wife in the car since she was the one driving and, necessity demanded that she must wait for the rain to subside. No sooner had I left my wife than I found myself drowning in a flood as deep as a river. I had fallen into a sixth I struggled to escape but it was too late and while striving for survival, I wondered what my family would do seeing my lifeless body at some place the next morning. I thought it was just a dream but low behold, it was a reality, I really was drowning.
“This drama lasted for God-knows how long up until I began gasping for air, as only my eyes and head could be seen, begging for help. Suddenly, a passerby noticed my hands dangling in the air and he quickly rushed to the scene, with the help of another good Samaritan, I was rescued from the pit.
“Sincerely, up until this moment, I have not yet recovered from the shock. It was indeed a bitter experience”, he wailed.
He, therefore, appealed to the APC led administration in the State to make the hay while it shines so as to avert such scenarios.
Similarly, Imolites particularly residents of World Bank and Umuguma Housing Estates have unanimously called on the Governor to expedite actions in that regard, in order to ensure the safety of lives and property, as would have been incurred by the prominent son of the state, last Saturday.
“We are calling on the Contractor handling World Bank Road project to hurry up and execute the job. If he needs mobilization, then government should do something and very fast to save lives otherwise government should reprimand him if he is not being owed yet unable to deliver the project because our lives are endangered by that Roundabout. It’s a visible death trap and something has to be done about it.
“We still have a few days ahead before the rain comes nonstop, so the contractor should get on at work to avoid some regrettable situations that would have been conveniently averted”, they pleaded.
