Abia State House of Assembly Ad-hoc committee on flood disaster in Aba has urged Aba residents and concerned stakeholders to help sensitize the people against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainage systems.
Chairman of the Committee and member representing Aba Central State Constituency, Hon. Abraham Obah, who stated this in a Town hall meeting with relevant stakeholders said indiscriminate disposal of waste materials in drainage system is a recurrent decimal and responsible for the flood disaster in Aba and its environs.
Oba, while speaking with newsmen shortly after the meeting, said he was disappointed at what he saw at the markets, pointing out that most shops were built on waterways thereby blocking the drainages.
The lawmaker said the committee would consult building experts to verify the structures and if found illegal, they would recommend demolition of same.
He said their oversight function cum fact-finding mission was borne out of a motion he co-sponsored with other lawmakers representing Aba on recent flood attack that submerged some areas in Aba adding that the outcome of the meeting will be collated in their reports and transmitted to the leadership of the 7th House.
Earlier, a staff member of Aba South Local Government Council, Mr. Temple Adiele, commended the legislators for their visit and lamented insufficient evacuation equipment, ASEPA buckets, receptacles, vehicles are attributed as the root causes of indiscriminate dumping of waste materials in the drainage, while Mr. Azubuike Ekemezie, a Landlord, said sanitary and health workers should be mandated do their jobs dutifully.
They begged the Committee to mandate ASEPA for timely and speedy evacuation of disposed waste materials.
Also contributing, the Deputy Executive Secretary, Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB, Aba zone Mr. Eugene Nwaoha, and the Chairman, All Nigerian Conference of Secondary School Principals, ANCOPSS, Aba zone, Mr. P.E Ezemaluoba, called for proper sensitization of residents and students.
They regretted that many secondary schools in Aba have become dumping ground for unscrupulous elements, adding that most schools have been overtaken by flood due to lack of drainage system while requesting for proper fencing of schools.
Meanwhile, the Deputy TC Chairman of Aba South Local Government Council, Hon. Chima Mbama, thanked the lawmakers for embarking on the oversight mission and promised that the Council would assist in creating awareness and during clean-up exercise.
