Residents of Umuakali-elu, in Naze Autonomous community of Owerri North LGA of Imo State have been inflicted with hardship as uncompleted drainage system along the newly upgraded old road have caused flooding into homes of occupants in that area.
Prior to the construction of the uncompleted road and the drainage systems, flood hardly gets into houses in the various compounds in Umuakali-elu; it rather stays in pot-holes on the road and gradually dries up with the support coming from sunlight.
However, it is a different story now as homes are now been flooded due to the constant rain which started since the month of July. Properties worth millions have been destroyed as occupants now pray that the rain stop as this seem to be the immediate solution to the situation on ground.
The ongoing construction of the road and drainage system which started over a year ago from Alaoma in Umuanyahu was projected to end at the Akachi junction, but on the site report confirms that the construction of the road had stopped at the entrance of the late Chief Joseph Amadi house which has a road leading to Ukwu-udara, while drainage construction which has stopped behind the Empire Energy petrol station is begging for completion.
Sadly, some residents in Umuakali-elu have also contributed towards this hardship as there are confirmed reports showing that some of these drainages have been blocked with sands by residents to enable motorists move rather than building culvert which should aid movement like others have done.
There are heavy speculations suggesting that the contractors handling the project abandoned it due to lack of funds reaching them, but Heaton Nigeria Limited who are contractors handling the project are yet to comment on the issue as of press time.
