NEMA warns 11 Rivers LGs to prepare for severe flooding
By Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt
Following the heavy rains this season, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned 11 local government areas in Rivers state to prepare adequately for severe flooding.
The areas to be severely affected include, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Akuku-Toru, Andoni, Asari-Toru, Bonny, Ogu-Bolo, Opobo-Nkoro, and Port Harcourt City. Others to experience flooding are Gokana, Etched, Oyigbo, Okrika, and Tai Local Government Areas.
South-South Zonal Director of NEMA, Ibarakumo Walson, speaking in Port Harcourt on Monday, advised the local governments to first identify designated internally displaced camps early enough for use to accommodate those likely to be affected by the floods.
He said the call became necessary following the recent forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) that 11 local governments in Rivers state would suffer severe flooding this raining season.
The NEMA official also explained that the flooding expected at the later part of the current raining season would be worse than that of last year.
“The outlook places emphasis that this year threatens to be worse than that of last year. Out of the 23 council areas, these are the areas that are likely to be seriously affected. So what we do before it happens is that we go round each of the local governments involving the local authorities as well as the state government,” he stated.
The zonal director therefore, advised the state government to set up emergency procedures to mitigate impending flooding in the state, adding that states and local governments were supposed to be the first respondents in emergency cases while awaiting the assistance of the federal government in extreme cases.
“Once we get to a local government, we do what is called on-the-spot assessment. The recommendations include the provisions of relief materials as well. It is not only the federal government that people should look up to. Emergencies affect everybody.
“We call on the state as well as the local governments to also do their part. In a big country like Nigeria, you don’t expect only the federal government to intervene and it depends on the intensity of the emergency. Secondly there are some situations that when you are calling on the federal government, they may not even come. The federal government will expect the local government to first of all intervene,” he explained.
