AbIa State Government has begun the construction of a ten-kilometer underground canal in Obohia axis of Aba South Local Government Area, to stop flooding in the State’s commercial hub.
Incessant flooding of Aba has been a source of worry to residents, who have severally appealed to the state government to find a lasting solution to the perennial problem.
Flooding is a major problem in the city that resulted in the submerging of Ndiegoro, a suburb of the city some 46 years ago.
In 1980, Ndiegoro community in today’s Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State was submerged by flood, killing dozens and rendering families homeless.
Sam Mbakwe, now late, the first civilian governor of old the Imo State, while seeking solution to the problem, cried to the Federal Government then under Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) for help and that singular act earned him the nickname “the weeping governor” for crying while trying to convince the federal government to pay more attention to his state.
The first occasion of his famed tears was the Ndiegoro flood in Aba, which was then a part of Imo State. He had invited former President Shehu Shagari, to witness the destruction done by the floods, and it was said that he was moved to tears, while conducting the president round the disaster area.
To stop further occurrence, successive administrations in the state did remedial works on the area, which still did not provide answer to the problem.
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Consequently, the Governor Alex Otti-led administration has initiated a permanent solution to the problem, by engaging Brass Engineering Construction company, a reputable construction firm to build an underground canal that would be able to take flood water from the flood-prone areas of Aba to the river.
Anyanwu Obilor, Mayor of Aba South Local Government Area, during a visit to the project site, described it as unprecedented.
He praised Governor Alex Otti for electing to carry out such a monumental project that will end the perennial flooding in some parts of Aba.
According to Obilor, “Governor Otti is God sent” to the state.
“This is huge. It can only take somebody, like Governor Alex Otti, who has the vision to solve the flood challenge in Aba to do this and that is why some of us are grateful to God for giving him to us this time, as our Governor,” Obilor stated.
He appealed to Governor Otti’s detractors, especially the past governors and their allies to support the governor to bring real development to the state.
Momodu Kebiru, an engineer with Brass Engineering and Construction, contractors to the canal project said that the project when completed, would collect flood water from Old Express, Omuma to Uratta, Port Harcourt road, Obohia and Ohanku to the Aba River.
According to Kebiru, “We want to make sure that this job is completed before the end of the first quarter of 2027 and that is why we are using both precast and poured steps construction methods to speed it up.”
The tunnel is about 10 kilometers, 3m× 3m high and 2.5 × 2.5m wide.
