Flood: PHALGA Plans Ahead Of Threat

Worried by the prediction
of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) that Rivers State, including Port Harcourt, would experience flood disaster in the months ahead, the Port Harcourt City Council says it has commenced adequate preparations on ways of mitigating the natural disaster in the local government area.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Port Harcourt City Council, Barrister Clifford Oparaodu, who stated this when the state Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA),  and staff of the agency visited him, in his office in Port Harcourt, urged the agency to assist the council in sensitising the people on how to mitigate flood in the area.
Oparaodu noted that the visit of the agency was timely as he urged NOA, whose responsibility it is to inform, educate and enlighten the grassroots, to assist the council in creating awareness and sensitising the public, especially residents of waterfronts to prepare for the disaster.
He noted that the council was ready to partner with all government agencies in ensuring that people living in the state capital benefit in the ongoing programmes to transform the state, embedded in the ‘New Vision’ policy thrust of the present administration of Chief Nyesom Wike.
The council boss regretted that despite various campaigns against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainages and on the streets of Port Harcourt, residents were still littering the streets with empty cans, bottle water and used satchet water.
“We have always warned residents against disposing empty can drinks and other used items indiscriminately, but unfortunately the trend continues. The situation in the city after any rain is disturbing as the streets are littered with rubbish”, he said.
Oparaodu urged the NOA to assist the council in creating more awareness to change the attitude of the residents, stressing that the trend is worrisome and causing flooding in some parts of the state capital.
The state Director of NOA, Oliver Worlugbom, had raised alarm that Port Harcourt is one of the cities that is always flooded as predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and urged the council chairman and his committee members to start preparing ahead of time.