With the rainy season fast approaching, sorrow and anxiety have once again enveloped residents of Ozoma Hilltop Estate in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. For the people, the sound of falling rain no longer brings relief or hope, but dread—an annual reminder of the gully erosion that continues to threaten their lives, homes, and future.
Year after year, erosion-prone communities in Okpanam watch helplessly as floodwaters carve deeper gullies into their land, inching dangerously close to residential buildings. In Ozoma Hilltop Estate, the devastation has become unbearable. Residents lament that the erosion has already eaten into parts of their community, leaving houses hanging on the edge and families living in constant fear of sudden collapse.
“We have resigned to fate; only God can save us now,” some residents said in anguish, as they appealed to Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to intervene before disaster strikes.
The Chairman of Ozoma Hilltop Estate, Chief Alegu Emmanuel Chigozie, described the situation as a ticking time bomb. He said a massive gully erosion cutting through the estate poses a grave danger to several buildings and has virtually crippled the community’s only access road.
According to him, life in the estate during the rainy season is marked by fear and sleepless nights, as erosion worsens with every rainfall. He noted that the problem, which has persisted for years, has defied all communal efforts to control it, leaving the residents with no option but to cry out for urgent government intervention.“The erosion has washed away the pathway linking our estate to the major road.
“This has compounded our suffering and isolated us,” Alegu lamented. He further decried the deplorable state of the only access road leading to the expressway, describing it as a major obstacle to movement, emergency response, and economic activities.
“We have seen hell because of gully erosion, and we can no longer control it. In the past, government officials came, assessed the situation, and left. Nothing was done. Today, we are still begging Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to save us from this impending disaster,” he said.
Residents also expressed fear that the estate, home to over 3,000 households, may soon be submerged if nothing is done. They blamed the worsening erosion on the absence of a proper drainage system to channel floodwaters, especially overflow from the Issele-Azagba axis, which empties into the community during heavy rains.
“This is an urgent cry for help,” the estate chairman reiterated. “All our efforts have failed. What we need now is a solid drainage system. If this problem is not addressed immediately, lives and homes will be lost.”
Despite their hardship, residents revealed that they have relied largely on self-help to survive. According to Alegu, the community single-handedly provided electricity for itself through communal contributions, purchasing transformers, poles, and cables worth several millions of naira—an effort he said underscores the residents’ willingness to partner with government if help is extended.
He added that appeals have been made to the Oshimili North Local Government Chairman and relevant state authorities, but only the Honourable member representing Oshimili North Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Frank Esenwah has visited the estate to witness the pain and suffering of the people firsthand.
As another rainy season looms, fear grips Ozoma Hilltop Estate once more. Residents warn that every year, lives are lost in Delta communities due to flooding and gully erosion, and they insist that Ozoma Hilltop may be next disaster, if urgent action is not taken.
Reported By Ike Philip Abiagom, Precious Erugo & Chris Mugbogwu