…Affected church, property owners, and farmers are rendered helpless, call for assistance By Jeff Agbodo
ABAKILIKI -RESIDENTS of Okpuitumo community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are counting huge losses following a devastating windstorm that wreaked havoc in the area, destroying properties worth hundreds of millions of naira. Badly affected include the Assemblies of God Church in the community, which had its house completely destroyed, as well as farmers whose crops were ruined. Many other buildings in the surrounding area were also destroyed by the early Tuesday morning windstorm. The heavy windstorm pulled off and destroyed the roofs of the church building, leaving the worshippers stranded. The incident, which occurred around 3:00 a.m. at Gmelina Junction, caused widespread destruction in the area. No lives were, however, lost to havoc, but goods and properties worth hundreds of millions were destroyed. And the owners are crying for assistance. The storm left the church members and the affected residents in shock, as the church was completely destroyed, forcing members to conduct church services in an open space under harsh conditions. The windstorm also impacted several structures in the environment, blowing off the roofs of shops and destroying wares. It also destroyed a billboard belonging to Hon. Abel Uzodimma Nwozaka, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Rice Mill. The Pastor in charge of the affected Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Moses Odorimo, described the incident as devastating and shocking. He explained that the building collapsed between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. during the devastating storm. “I was in the corridor when I suddenly heard a loud noise. When I rushed out, I saw that the church building had already collapsed. The zinc, wood, and walls had all fallen flat on the ground. “Church properties, including chairs, musical instruments, and the pulpit, were completely destroyed,” he narrated. The pastor appealed to the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru and well-meaning individuals to assist the church in rebuilding and recovery from the ruins. “We are now forced to worship under the rain and scorching sun,” he lamented. Also speaking, a resident and victim of the storm, Mrs Nwadurunne Uguru, a widow, lamented that her house was badly affected, with its roof blown off. She disclosed that a 100kg bag of processed beans, food items, and other valuables were destroyed in the incident, and appealed to government authorities for urgent assistance to help cushion the effect on her family. Another victim, Mr Goddy Nwogha, said that though the windstorm did not destroy his house, it destroyed his yams worth N10 million. “They pulled down a tree where my yam ban was situated, it fell on the ban and destroyed all the yams there. The wind also blew off part of the roof of my house. “It is a double problem for me; my house and my barn were destroyed. I need urgent assistance from the state government, NGOs and good-spirited individuals. “It is not only my house that was destroyed, but it also affected other houses, shops and economic trees. We need assistance to start life again. We thank God that no lives were lost at the end of the windstorm, but some children sustained minor injuries. The ugly story is the same for Miss Chioma Nweke, whose poultry house was destroyed, killing over one thousand birds. “I have a makeshift house where I had many birds of different ages, from one month to five months, all of them were killed. I borrowed money to start the business with the intention to repay it in October and November, but the whole investment has been ruined. “I appeal to the state government to come to my assistance to enable me to repay the loan and start the business again. The condition of Nigeria is so terrible that eating is a problem. So, I need support to bounce back in business,” Nweke lamented in tears. A provision store owner, Onyekachi Eze, narrated that the windstorm destroyed the roof of the building housing his shop, allowing the rain to soak all the wares. “The windstorm destroyed goods worth N12 million in my shop. I did not save anything from the shop because the incident occurred during odd hours when everybody was asleep. Again, some of us live outside the area. Before I came in the morning, everything in my shop was soaked with water. “I need help to start again. It is in this shop that I feed my family, take care of my siblings and pay their school fees. I urge Governor Nwifuru to come to my help because I know him as a compassionate man,” he appealed.
