Cholera Claims The Lives Of 10 in Anambra State

The troubled Amansea in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, where about 48 dead bodies were dumped in its Ezu River in 2013 by unknown persons, is in the news again as 10 persons have been feared dead as a result of cholera outbreak and other water borne diseases in the area.



The people of the community were also worried that their gods might have been angry since the dumping of the corpses, alleging that no fewer than 20 motor accidents had been recorded near the Ezu River Bridge since the dumping incident.

According to the village head of Amaowele village, who is also a member of Igwe’s cabinet at Amansea, Chief Benjamin Onoania, the people are unhappy that Anambra State government had failed to fulfil its promise of sinking a borehole for them, after the dumping of the corpses in their only source of water supply in 2013.

Onoania said that though they stopped using water from Ezu River for some time after the incident, they were left with no choice than to resort to the water from the river since there was no alternative.
He added that the resultant effect was the recent outbreak of cholera which experts attributed to water-borne diseases.

He also claimed that the gods were angry because they were not appeased after the dumping of the corpses, which was why, he stated, there had been frequent motor accidents near the river.
He said that one of such accidents occurred recently in his own compound during which a bus rammed into his gate, broke into the compound and destroyed a shop.

He said: “The bus knocked down two people who were rushed to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi where they were treated.

“These signs show that the gods are not happy. I am in danger, especially since the bus ran into my compound because the gods say that I have not done anything as the representative of the village in the Igwe’s council, to appease the gods.”

Onoania regretted that the community had been abandoned, adding that it was only made an object of political campaign during elections as politicians in the state visited the community and made promises without fulfilling them when they got into office.

He said the community had officially appealed to Governor Willie Obiano, through its traditional ruler, Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo and the member representing Awka North state constituency in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Boniface Okonkwo, to come to their aid, though nothing concrete had come out of it.
He also appealed to the state government to provide the necessary materials to appease the gods as his people were traditionally inclined to believe that Ezu River had spiritual powers.