Mysterious fire sacks Otolo-Nnewi, Anambra community

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Umuzu Mbana community in Otolo-Nnewi, Anambra state has been reduced to a ghost town, no thanks to a mysterious fire that erupted from Odudga natural spring water fall which has been supplying water for domestic and agricultural needs of the community from time immemorial.

The President General of the community, Hon Tony Muodielo who took newsmen to the strange scene said that the women in the area mostly married ones have deserted their husbands with the threat never to return until a solution is find to the strange fire.

Hon Muodielo noted that it all started late last year when toxic smoke permeated the whole community and it was speculated that the smoke originated from a nearby factory but later dawn on the community that their lives were in danger when fire started burning from the waterfall site.

He said his community quickly rally round those that are very close to the site and advised that they should spend less time at home to prevent a situation where an individual or entire family would choke to death.

The Umuzu Mbana PG said that they eventually sent their complaints to the Anambra state governor, Chief Willie Obiano through the office of the transition committee chairman of Nnewi North local government area, Hon Chukwudi Orizu.

Hon Muodielo said that the government quickly responded by sending a fire service department to visit the site only for the fire fighters to discover that the case is beyond what they can handle leaving them with the hope that the fire would naturally die out when heavy rains start falling.

"Our hope that things would improve during the raining season did not materialize as the fire has continue unabated and emitting toxic smoke that chokes, a team of geologists from Anambra state University, Uli has taken specimen for test but we have not heard anything from them.

"The member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo local areas in the House of Representatives, Hon Chris Azubogu, the Ministry of Environment and other agencies have visited our community but we are still leaving with our problems.

"We have been advised that we should be taking evaporated milk on daily basis to neutralize the effect of the choking toxic smoke but not many people can afford two square meal per day not to talk of getting money to buy milk. We are distressed and troubled."

"Our children can no longer go to school because they have been displaced and moved to their maternal homes, married men are now feeding like bachelors because their wives have returned to their parents." He lamented.

The PG who was in company of the community's Secretary General, Chika Onyejegbu, Chief Stephen Okonkwo, Tessy Igwilo and other worried villagers passionately appealed to the federal government and indeed the international community to come to the aid of the sleepy but troubled community.

The Anambra state commissioner for environment could not be reached for his comment on the Nnewi mysterious fire.