The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA in South-South has commended the 9-man flood committee constituted by Governor Siminialayi Fubara to help prevent and manage flood in the state.
The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA in South-South, Adebiyi Babatunde Razak in a chat with newsmen on Tuesday said the development is timely.
The Rivers State Government constituted a nine-man flood committee on Monday intending to prevent and manage any flood-related cases in the state.
The Committee is headed by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof Ngozi Odu.
However, the Zonal Coordinator of NEMA in South-South, Adebiyi Babatunde Razak implored the committee to move into action.
He said he is very confident in the committee headed by the deputy Governor Professor NGOZI NMA ODU in ensuring proper flood management in the state.
The NEMA Zonal coordinator further said that flood-prone communities should be sensitized and higher grounds prepared for the people as IDP camps in case of any emergency.
He also tasked the committee to make available food items and medications for flood victims in all IDP camps.
Adebiyi Babatunde Razak also tasked the committee to clean up blocked water channels and waterfronts for easy movement of stormwater.
The Zonal coordinator of NEMA in South-south Razak however maintained that early sensitization should be done for the people in their local dialects to enhance proper and effective enlightenment at the grassroots level.
Meanwhile, an Environmental Manager Meshach Uyi says the Flood Management Committee set up by the Rivers State Government is a welcome development.
Meshach Uyi, in an interview with our correspondent, however, faulted the non-inclusion of the Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development in the flood committee.
He said that the Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development will play a prominent role in preventing water-borne diseases in different IDP camps.
Meshach Uyi also questioned why Governor Siminalayi Fubara failed to sign the State Management Emergency Agency Bill recently passed by the State House of Assembly into law
The Environmental Manager, Meshach Uyi also urged the Flood Management Committee to urgently swing into action to assess the situation on the ground.
He noted that the flood would take two weeks to engulf flood-prone communities in Rivers State according to the prediction of relevant Government Agencies.
