Giwa-amu residents’ lamentation on poor road and drainage facilities

…wants Delta State Govt and Warri South Local Govt’s intervention 

By Magdalene Agbadamashi & Favour Ogegbene

As the raining season commences the residents and shop owners in Giwa-amu community situated in Okumagba Layout, Warri, Delta State, are worried as a result of the multiplicity of problems that heralds the coming of the season.

For over ten years the residents of the community have suffered serious stress any time rain falls. This in part is due to the bad road network and poor drainage system that is associated with the community.

GbaramatuVoice went round the community to do on the spot assessment of the situation and get the reaction of the residents.

The residents/shop owners have gone on bended knees pleading with the state and Warri South Local Government Council to help ameliorate the hardship they have been suffering since the past ten years.

The residents/shop owners have gone on bended knees pleading with the state government to help ameliorate the hardship they have been suffering since the past ten years.

Most hit are residents and shop owners whose houses/shops are situated close to the road.

They complaint vehemently that once the rain starts they are subjected to trauma as passing through it becomes like the proverbial crossing of the ocean.

Not only that, they claimed that the environment becomes unpleasant to live in as the gutters are filled up and all the dirts and bacteria cum germs are brought out in the open making the environment look unkempt.

A shop owner, Mrs Eloho Obaro’s   complains is that she finds it difficult to make sales when there is rain fall as the water floods her shop causing her to close up before due time.

Vehicle owners and transporters in such instances avoid the road because it causes a lot of damage to their vehicles, resulting in them incurring unexpected expenses.

“I don’t normally take this road because each time I use the road I will have to go to the mechanic to repair one part or the other of my car. Instead, I use the Apala road because it is far better than this one,” says Mr Friday, a resident.

Speaking with some other residents, Gbaramatu Voice learnt that this has been an issue since the time of the former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.

According to Mr Foma Okoro, a Keke driver plying the road, “steps have been taken to resolve the issue but the community people prevented it due to selfish reasons”.

Residents appealed to the government to come to their aid and solve this issue that has lingered for so long a time.

In his response, James Peter, who has an office in the community, said that the road has been in a bad condition for ten years now and that no attempt has been made to rehabilitate it.

He asserted that whenever there is a heavy downpour it affects them a lot to the extent they have to close for the day because of the water coming into their office.

He wants God to touch the heart of the government to come and help them rehabilitate the road.

Mrs. Joy Obas, who operates a provision store, said that she came into the locality about two years ago.

But the road has been in bad condition and where it has been affecting her is when there is heavy downpour people will not be able to come to buy things from her because her store will become inaccessible as a result of flooding.

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