Residents of flood-ravaged areas in Aba, Abia State, may boycott the 2019 general elections if the federal and state governments as well as their representatives at various levels fail to address the situation.
The residents drawn from Mathew Avenue, Railway Avenue, Ahuruonye and Nwaogu Street all in Obuda community told Vanguard that they are blaming their predicament on the representatives of the area, urging them to correct the ‘errors of the past.’
They lamented that they have been forgotten by the State and federal governments as every rainy season is a mourning period for them and threatened to boycott the elections if nothing is done.
A resident of the area, Japheth Charles Oforji lamented that a boycott to 2019 is the only way to express their anger, stating that it is unfortunate that an area that is the second highest populated area in Aba behind the Ndiegoro axis, has been left in ruin.
“We are tired of talking and complaining. We will boycott the 2019 elections. When we talk about elections in Aba, every politician that misses our vote is as bad as losing. This area plus our neighbouring streets around, can boast of over 6,000 to 10,000 people. We are not asking for wonderful road network, we are not demanding for asphalted roads. All we ask for is for them to come and open the blocked drainage that belongs to them so that more lives will not be lost as the rain approaches.
“We don’t want after the impending flood they will bring inaccessible relief materials. We don’t need any relief material. If you are giving me food when flood has destroyed my house, where will I keep it? If you are giving me blanket, where will I lie down?
“If you are giving me mosquito net, where will I place it? What we are saying is this, let them save the money for their usual relief materials and save us from the impending doom.
“You can’t drag water into my house and give me rice to eat on top of the water. It doesn’t make sense. Let them give us good environment for we can feed ourselves. I cannot eat rice today and leave in the bush tomorrow. We wasted all our energy to vote them in and up till now, we are still suffering. We are not against anybody, but we beg them to save us before we perish.We are tired of government neglect and maltreatment.”
Leader of the affected streets, Pastor Chisom Oriaku stated that politicians only visit the area during electioneering and disappear after the elections.
“Last year’s July, we were sacked by flood. In 2010, we lost our belongings. What my people are saying of which I concur is that if the government allows this year’s rain to harm us, we will surely boycott the 2019 elections.
Oriaku urged the state government and representatives of the area to address the flood problem solve their problems and stop bringing relief materials after they have been destroyed by flood.
