By Chinazaekpere Chinwendu
Ikwuano, Abia State| September 25, 2026 —
The Executive Mayor of Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Dr. Anthony Nwaubani, has undertaken an emergency visit to Nkaluta Community in Ibere Ward 2 following severe flooding that submerged parts of the community and left residents grappling with significant losses.
Nwaubani, who visited the community on Thursday, September 24, 2026, said he was alerted to the extent of the flooding while attending a conference in Abuja on Tuesday, September 23, after receiving a video showing the community inundated by floodwater.
According to the Mayor, the flooding was triggered by the overflow of the Akoo River, which burst its banks and swept across the only access road connecting Nkaluta to Bende before spreading into residential areas.
He described the situation as a serious emergency, noting that virtually every family in the affected community had been impacted, with residents losing farmlands, crops, including cocoa, as well as domestic animals.
He, however, expressed gratitude that no life was lost in the incident, despite the severity of the flooding.
Nwaubani said the situation had created a desperate scramble among residents, many of whom were forced to salvage whatever they could from their homes as floodwaters swept through the community.
“I was in a conference in Abuja on Tuesday, September 23, when I got the video of the flooding of the whole Nkaluta Community in Ibere Ward 2 of Ikwuano, Abia State,” the Mayor stated.
He explained that immediately after receiving the report, he contacted relevant authorities and began discussions aimed at securing emergency intervention for the affected community.
According to him, an understanding was reached that the emergency situation would be presented for the necessary approval at the state level on Monday, prompting him to return from Abuja and personally engage with community stakeholders for proper assessment and follow-up.
Despite the difficult terrain and challenging journey into the affected community, the Mayor, accompanied by the Councillor representing Ibere Ward 2, Hon. Sunny U. Okoro; Chief of Staff to the Mayor, Hon. Anthony Echefu; Media Aide, Mr. Frank Ugboaja; and elder statesman from Nkaluta, Chief Sunday Chigbu, successfully reached the community.
The delegation was received by several prominent community stakeholders, including Engr. Jack Ogumka Okwuonu, Arch. Sylvester Onwumere, Dr. Kalu Chukwuemeka Israel, Maxwell Otuonye, the President-General of the community, Chief Ike Pious, Chairman of the Labour Party Nkaluta Chapter, Imeremba Michael Imeremba, and others.
The visit provided an opportunity for the Mayor and the community stakeholders to assess the immediate impact of the flooding, identify its underlying causes and deliberate on both emergency interventions and sustainable measures to prevent a recurrence.
The community leaders commended Mayor Nwaubani for responding promptly to the distress call and physically visiting the affected area, describing the visit as a demonstration of responsive and people-oriented leadership.
They also expressed appreciation to the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, for what they described as his administration's demonstrated commitment to addressing challenges affecting communities across the state.
The stakeholders expressed optimism that the necessary intervention would be provided, particularly given the administration's established approach to addressing critical infrastructure and emergency challenges.
The assessment revealed that the flooding was not entirely unprecedented, as the Akoo River reportedly overflows its banks annually. However, stakeholders noted that the scale and severity of this year's flooding were significantly greater than previous occurrences.
The delegation also established that Nkaluta is situated on relatively low-lying terrain, making the community particularly vulnerable to flooding whenever the river exceeds its normal capacity.
Another major concern identified was the poor condition of the road linking Nkaluta to Bende. The road, which runs parallel to the Akoo River and contains culverts along its route, has reportedly deteriorated considerably and lacks adequate resistance to the force and volume of floodwater.
Deforestation along the riverbank was also identified as a contributing environmental concern. According to the findings, a rubber plantation that previously existed along the riverbank is no longer there, following deforestation activities, leaving the river corridor more vulnerable to erosion and uncontrolled water movement.
Following extensive discussions, the stakeholders reached a consensus on the need for both immediate palliative intervention and comprehensive long-term solutions.
Among the long-term measures proposed was the dredging of the Akoo River to improve its carrying capacity and reduce the likelihood of recurrent overflow.
The stakeholders also advocated for the commencement of construction of the Ukpom (Bende)-Nkaluta Road through to Itunta, which they believe would provide a more durable transportation corridor while also addressing some of the infrastructure challenges contributing to the community's vulnerability.
Another significant recommendation was the introduction of intentional and coordinated tree planting along the Akoo River bank as part of an environmental restoration strategy aimed at strengthening the riverbank and mitigating the effects of erosion and uncontrolled water flow.
For the immediate response, stakeholders called for measures to control the likely emergence of black pod disease, a fungal disease that affects cocoa pods and could compound the agricultural losses already suffered by farmers as a result of the flooding.
They also appealed for emergency palliatives and intervention from the relevant Emergency Management Agency to cushion the immediate impact of the disaster on affected families.
The Mayor, in response, committed himself to escalating the matter and following up with the relevant authorities at the state level to ensure that the concerns raised by the community receive the necessary attention.
The visit has consequently rekindled hope among residents of Nkaluta, who are now looking towards immediate relief while anticipating more sustainable interventions to address the perennial flooding challenge and improve access to the community.
The community's reception of the Mayor and his team demonstrated the importance of direct engagement between local leadership and residents, particularly in times of emergency, as stakeholders continue to seek coordinated measures to protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure in Nkaluta.