Flood: Edo residents barricade road over govt failure to dredge river

Residents of Ikpoba-Hill in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State on Wednesday, took to the streets, barricading the busy Ikpoba Hill Road, to protest the state government’s failure to dredge the Ikpoba River.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the river, during the rainy season, often overflows its banks, destroying homes and displacing many.

According to Ken Omusi, the youth leader of the community, Governor Godwin Obaseki said in July that the contract for the river’s dredging had been awarded to a contractor.

Mr Omusi said that no equipment nor workers had been mobilised to the site since July, when the state government allegedly awarded the contract.

He said the river’s overflow had caused massive erosion in the community and destruction of lives and property.

According to him, members of the community wept when floods swept away a young boy recently.

A resident, Ijeh Isoken, lamented the loss of her personal belongings and the tragic loss of the young boy.

“We’ve been searching for his body, even hiring divers, but to no avail. We begged the governor to intervene to prevent another tragedy,” she said.

“The community is calling on the state government to mobilise the contractor to start dredging the river.”

The Edo State Government recently announced plans to dredge the Ikpoba River to address flooding, including the development of the Benin Port Project.