The father of Ifeanyi Chukwu Osuji, the young man who drowned after a devastating flood submerged their home in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, has appealed to the Rivers State Government for assistance following the tragic loss of his only son.
Mr. Osuji, a mechanic and resident of Umuebereke, Umusia, made the appeal while speaking during a radio programme, saying that although no amount of support could replace his son, government intervention would help ease the pain and hardship his family has been left to endure.
He narrated that a torrential rainfall on Friday caused severe flooding that rapidly engulfed their home, with the water rising above window level. The family, he said, was forced to flee for safety, abandoning all their belongings as the floodwaters continued to rise.
According to him, his late son later insisted on returning to the house to retrieve some personal belongings. The deceased was accompanied by his mother, who could not get close to the building because of the depth and force of the floodwaters.
Osuji said Ifeanyi entered the flooded compound but was swept away and drowned before help could reach him. His mother reportedly raised the alarm after noticing he was in distress, but all efforts to rescue him were unsuccessful.
The grieving father lamented that despite the tragic incident, neither the relevant emergency agencies nor the Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Okechukwu Akari, had visited the family or the affected community to sympathise with them.
He also criticised the authorities for what he described as their failure to tackle the recurring flooding in the area, urging the Rivers State Government to provide relief for his family and implement lasting measures to prevent future flood-related disasters in the community.
