Adankolo/Gadumo areas hit by the flood.
By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Social and economic activities in Gadumo, a fast growing suburb in Ajaokuta Local Governnent Area of kogi state have gone into point of decline as the area has been thrown into total darkness due to flood that hit Lokoja, the state capital and other eight local government areas of the state.
Our Correspondent, who visited the area located at the border between Lokoja local government and Local Ajaokuta Local Governnent Areas of kogi state,on Friday reports that operators of social outfits and other commercial activities expressed dismay over loss of sales to the power outage.
As a result of the darkness which has being for the past 24 hours running, as at the time of this report on Wednesday, operators of energy consuming outfits; such as barbing salons, vulganisers, welders among others complained of decline in activity and patronage.
A reliable source from the regional office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, in a telephone interview with our Correspondent attributed the power outage to the fact that the flood had hampered efforts of the officials of the company to rectify electrical faults created by the flood in the area.
He said:The flood led to the fall of many electric poles, many of which are buried inside the flood.
” This development made it practically impossible for our officials to recover these poles and fix them again,hence the power outage in Gadumo and some other areas for now.
“We are also mindful of the likelihood of electric shock if the area is exposed to constant electricity because the area is still flooded”.
The source, however, expressed optimism that with the flood receding gradually, efforts were on to rectify the problem soon.
Our Correspondent reports that Gadumo, Adankolo and part of Nataco areas receive much of the brunt of the flood which hit nine of the 21local governnent areas of the state.
The flood which led to the death of three persons through boat mishap at Ganaja village.
The four other persons sustained serious burns as a result of gas explosion in the house where they secured temporary accommodation, having been sacked by flood.
The flood has also destroyed over 600 hectres of farm lands and made thousands of residents homeless among other social,economic, emotional and psychological challenges confronting the people of the state, especially the victims.
Our Correspondent reports that light returned to the area at about 1 30 p.m on Friday.
