Tourism & Lifestyle | A Visit to Otammiri River Also known as FUTO River
A Visit to Otammiri River Also known as FUTO River
In my Thursdays and Saturday routine of taking natural pictures I decided to visit Otamiri. The popular FUTO river last Saturday to take some natural pictures. I visited the river, took some pictures. I was afraid at first having heard so many rumors and stories of that river.
After taking few shots and was about leaving, still contemplating where to go next, a motorcycle stopped close to me he was carrying Ugu (vegetable). At first I thought he wanted to ask me what I was doing there but he parked his bike came down and went to the river side. As he was an elderly man I greeted him and he responded, instead of going home I turned back to see what he was going to do. I never imagined he was going to swim though the bushes around there showed people came there regularly.
He started sharing with me the stories of OTA MMIRI. He said the river has reduced so much as compared to it's usual overflows. This is as so because the rive dried up completely sometime ago.
The story started, long ago before and during the colonial masters, before roads and bridges were built Ota Mmiri was so big and popular that it was the route people from Portharcourt, Warri used in entering Owerri. Ota Mmiri was the biggest and most popular river around Owerri metropolis. People not only use it as a means of transportation but trade and commerce took place on that same river. When the colonial masters came into the pictures, roads were built along rivers. Reason is to identify the route.
I asked if there are fishes. He said yes, fishermen do come to fish and during my stay there I noticed some movements which I would say were fishes.
I then asked a scary question, is there a goddess? He said, goddess don’t stay in this kind of river except they are evoked. In the olden days when you come to the river you will see them (e shock me) but not now.
He warned me, if you are not a professional swimmer don’t come near the river because the force is much and it is not easy on strangers. The river is moving on a fast current, it takes professionalism to swim in an opposite direction; swimming in the river direction will take you far and probably swallow you.
He expressed his displeasure on how the great river has reduced due to excavation and other man made activities. Please if you are not a professional don’t near that river. As I kept exploring I saw a notice that reads ‘MANY HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO THIS RIVER, FLEE FROM IT (DO NOT SWIM).
A word they say is enough for the wise. If you want to swim go to the swimming pool, it’s safer, handy and cheaper.
