Residents of Otuogwu community in the Asaba area of Delta State have raised the alarm over the community’s collapsed road.

They appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to intervene in the gully erosion threatening the area.

several houses were observed to be on the verge of being submerged by the erosion, as the road to the community was cut off.

A community leader, Mr Freeman John, lamented that their area was abandoned by the government.

He said, “I am one of the community leaders here and also a landlord. We have tried many times to get government’s attention to our plight, yet nothing was done.

“The community participated in voting many governments to power, in the end, we were abandoned. No empowerment, no appointment, no infrastructure in the community.

“The last time the community benefited from government was during the era of Ambrose Ali. Since then, we have been suffering; only recently, Okowa awarded one road in the community, but we are appealing to the governor to extend it to the main community road.

“We have been cut off by the erosion and that is why we are begging him to extend the development to the Otuogwu Road behind Ogbogonogo Market.”

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Another resident, Mr Michael Okolie, added that the community suffered as a result of bad roads over the years.

He said, “When it rains, we are all afraid because the volume of water passing here is much; we are praying to God so that it will not carry our children into River Niger.

“River Niger is at our back; anybody the flood carries, it will be directly to River Niger. The foundations of some of the houses have been washed away, and the houses may fall any time depending on the magnitude of the rain because of the erosion.”

Efforts by our correspondent to reach the state Commissioner for Environment, Christ Onogba, failed, as calls put across to him were not answered as of the time of filing this report.