No place like home: Flooded community relocates 3km away from ancestral home

No place like home, so goes the saying. It was hard to tell who comes home or who leaves between the flood and Olodu community in Delta, as the latter has relocated three kilometres away from their ancestral home.


The relocation was announced on Sunday by Obi Alexander Ifechukude, the traditional ruler of the community.

The traditional ruler, who described the decision as collective, said  relocation was the only option to avoid future flood disaster.

He appealed to the state and federal governments to assist the community by providing infrastructure in the new location.

Ifechukude said the community had never witnessed the magnitude of  flood experienced during the recent flooding.
He said though no life was lost, but that the entire community was submerged.

‘’ We are farmers, fishermen and hunters and ever since the days of our fore-fathers, we have never seen nor experienced such magnitude of flood wreck.

‘’ As I speak, though the flood has subsided, nothing is left for my people to salvage.

‘’ My people reasoned out that the possibility of the flood coming back soon was most likely and they decided that they will not return to our ancestral settlement and they have my consent.

‘’ As I am talking to you, my palace was destroyed too and currently I have no place to operate from as a palace.’’

The monarch said the new settlement had been mapped out, while families had started erecting make-shift houses.

A community under water

Musing
The prince has come home
To claim all that to him belongs
Strangers have had enough taste
Of its border and land
He stretched forth his hand
And turned their reign to waste
He washed all to his bossom as spoils
All for which they have worked and toiled
No place like home
He whistled as they waddled
Dancing to the beats of his songs
No place like home