**As Fresh corpses are exhumed
By Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
Severe flooding caused by the overflow of the Niger River has devastated Udaba Ekperi and neighboring communities in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, leaving residents homeless and in dire need of assistance.
Barrister Lawani Damian, a community leader and former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, has urgently appealed for government intervention. He reported that his own home is submerged, and the local populace is struggling without any support from local or state authorities.
Damian highlighted the alarming situation at the local cemetery, where freshly buried corpses have been exhumed by the floodwaters, raising concerns about potential disease outbreaks in the area. He also noted that the flooding has destroyed farmland and livestock, leading to significant economic losses and forcing children out of school.
In a telephone interview, he expressed his frustrations: “Where is our humanity as a people and a nation? What is good governance if it doesn’t include the protection and welfare of the governed? Is Edo State and its local government a failed state?”
He described the devastation, stating, “We have lost everything. Our homes are ruined, our farms are underwater, and schools are submerged. The fear of disease outbreaks looms large over our communities.”
Damian called for immediate action from both the local government chairman and the state government, emphasizing the urgency of the situation: “Those who have survived are left with no shelter, no food, no water, and no clothing. It is truly a desperate situation here.”