Over 10 towns in Rivers to be submerged by flooding – NEMA warns

By Emmanuel Serigbana

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that over  10 local government areas in Rivers state might not be safe over severe flooding as the rainy season commenced.

The South-South Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Ibarakumo Walson while making this known in Port Harcourt recently, called on the state government to look up to formed Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

Walson said the warning was sequel to a fresh forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and the flooding would be greater than that of 2018.

Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Andoni, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and Ahoada West, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Bonny, Gokana, Ogu/Bolo, Okrika, Opobo/Nkoro and Port Harcourt City were among the areas predicted would be seriously affected.

The NEMA Zonal Coordinator, South South, said, “Others are Etche, Oyigbo and Tai. Of the 23 Local government areas in Rivers, these are the areas that are likely to be seriously flooded.”

He continued, “So what we (NEMA) are doing before it happens is that we go round in each of the Local government area involving the council authorities as well as the state government to create awareness.

“In the ones we go, we do what is called on the spot assessment, recommendations include the provision of relief materials as well.

“It is not the Federal Government that people should look up to, emergency affects everybody, we call on the state government to also do their part because in a big country like Nigeria, you do not expect only the federal government to intervene and it depends on the intensity of the management too.

“There are some situations that if you call NEMA, the FG, they will not even come. The federal government expects the local government to intervene first.”