Severe Flooding Imminent In Rivers -NEMA

The National Emer
gency Management Agency (NEMA), says four local government areas in Rivers State may experience severe flooding this year, if the Comeroonian authoities eventually opens the Lagbo dam.
South South Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Mr Benjamin Ogena, who disclosed this in Port Harcourt, named the affected local government areas as Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni local Government Areas.
Mr Ogena also said that in the next few weeks, the state will experience heavy rainfall that may contribute to flooding of the state.
The coordinator, who spoke to newsmen on the issue  said that the situation would also affect the coastal areas of the state.
He said that the announcement by the Cameroonian authorities to open the Lagbo dam, should be a wake up call to the state government to think of rehabilitation measures for those that will be affected by the incident. Mr Ogena also said that with the havoc wrecked by the 2012 flood disaster, the government and the affected local government councils must not wait for the disaster to occure before something was done about it.
“The state government and the affected local government councils must take this issue seriously by putting in place necessary measures to save the communities from the impending disaster”, he said.
He particularly suggested the constitution of committees by the affected councils to work out rehabilitation measures while more awareness should be created around the communities on the situation.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Hydrological Agency had in April this year, issued similar warning in twelve states of the federation  including Rivers State.   The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Ibaniba Briggs-Iti had in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt confirmed that the state government was taking measures to ensure that the state was not adversely affected by the impending disaster.