The Abia State Government has responded to a viral video showing a residential compound submerged by floodwaters along the ongoing Owerinta Road reconstruction corridor, assuring residents that the problem will be addressed before the project is completed.
The video, posted on Facebook on Saturday, showed floodwaters inundating a residential area as a distressed resident appealed directly to Governor Alex Otti for help.
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“Our Governor, have mercy upon us. See water. What we need here is a canoe. Water is everywhere. We’re passing through water. We don’t know where the gutter is. Water has covered everything. Our super governor, come and help us,” the resident said in the video.
The footage triggered widespread reactions on social media, with users debating whether the flooding resulted from the road reconstruction, poor waste disposal, blocked drainage channels or the intensity of the rainfall.
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Government explains the cause.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, acknowledged the flooding but said preliminary findings suggested the location had a longstanding topographical challenge.
According to the government, the affected compound lies on a downward slope relative to the main road, making it naturally prone to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.
“Residents and those familiar with the area can attest to the fact that the location has experienced flooding over the years, although the ongoing reconstruction works have temporarily amplified the situation,” the statement said.
“It is important to note that the road project is still under construction. Consequently, the present stage of work provides the Ministry of Works and the project contractor with the opportunity to assess the drainage pattern further and implement any necessary engineering adjustments to ensure that the completed project effectively addresses the concerns raised,” the statement added.
The government also linked the flooding to unusually heavy rainfall recorded over the past two days, saying the weather conditions had significantly contributed to the incident and had also helped engineers identify drainage deficiencies before the project was completed.
Political claims dismissed
The Abia State Government said it was aware that the incident had attracted political interpretations but insisted its focus remained on residents’ welfare and delivering durable infrastructure.
“The Government remains focused on facts, the welfare of residents, and the successful delivery of quality infrastructure rather than political distractions,” the statement said.
It also cited previous engineering challenges encountered during the reconstruction of the Onuimo–Umuahia Road corridor, noting that those issues were successfully resolved and that similar professionalism would be applied to the Owerinta project.
The government urged residents in the affected area to remain calm, assuring them that it would work with the Ministry of Works and the contractor to resolve the issue fully.
Mixed reactions
The video generated mixed reactions on Facebook.
Some Facebook users argued that flooding has become a nationwide challenge during the rainy season.
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“Flooding is not only peculiar in Abia, but it’s also everywhere, including America. Secondly, tell the people of the community to stop throwing garbage into the drainage,” Chijioke Alichie wrote.
Another commenter, Kalu Chidinma, said: “My dear sister, the flooding is in every state in Nigeria, not Governor Alex Otti’s fault.”
Others pointed to indiscriminate waste disposal and blocked drainage channels as contributing factors, while some questioned previous road reconstruction projects and government responses to similar incidents.
Broader flood menace
The incident comes amid a surge in flood-related disasters across Nigeria following days of heavy rainfall.
Last week, five people, including four children, died after a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Cross River State, while flooding affected several communities in Calabar and other parts of the country, prompting emergency interventions by the National Emergency Management Agency and state authorities.
The latest incident in Abia underscores growing concerns about urban drainage, infrastructure resilience and the impact of increasingly intense rainfall on communities during the peak of Nigeria’s rainy season.
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