Flood: Nobody committed suicide in my constituency -Lawmaker

[MrVan]

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

AWKA—THE member representing Anambra West constituency in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Okoye, has denied media reports that two people committed suicide as a result of flooding in his constituency, following the surge of River Niger and its tributaries into farmlands and houses in the area.

Addressing newsmen in Awka, the state capital, yesterday, Okoye said although the flood swept away many farmlands and houses, forcing people to relocate to safer areas, there was no incident of suicide.

He said there were rumours that some people were feared dead as a result of the flood, which had become a yearly occurrence in the area.

The lawmaker said he had already forwarded video clips of the flood devastation to the state governor, Mr. Peter Obi, as well as officials of State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, the ministries of Agriculture and Environment and other relevant bodies with a view to driving home the magnitude of the problem and to enable them assess the extent of destruction and come to the aid of the people.

He added that a letter had been forwarded to authorities of Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, based in Abuja, to visit the local government area to see things for themselves and include the area among local government areas suffering environmental disasters in the country on a regular basis.

Vanguard Nigeria

[Segun fadare]

What will make people think of suicide? That shouldn't be in their thought at all as a good citizen of the country.Flood shouldn't cause things like that.