RSG Plans Flood, Erosion Units In LGAs

The Rivers State Government is proposing the establishments of Flood and Erosion Units as well as that of Environmental Health and Safety in the 23 Local Government Areas.
Commissioner for Environment, Professor Roseline Konya who said this during an event in Port Harcourt, explained that the proposed units were in line with a circular titled: “SGF.6/S.22/1.
She said that the proposed units will have their staff drawn from the Environment Department by way of transfer.
“As contained in the circular “SGF.6/S.22/1 staff of the Environmental Department shall be drawn by transfer of staff from relevant departments to the newly established Environment Department.
“For example, environmental health officers, technologists, technicians, assistants and Sanitary or Sewage.
Engineers from environmental health and sanitation as well as personel from health/Primary Healthcare units whose duties involve routine premises (house to house) inspection shall also be transferred to the newly created Environmental Department”.
According to her, the circular also specified that staff concerned with coastal erosion, environmental assessment, soil erosion and flood control should be transferred from Works and Housing to the newly created Environment Department, and so forth.
The commissioner said that most environmental threats which occur in rural communities can `be prevented with proper and timely information.
“Experience shows that crucial information and data from environment does not flow adequately from the LGAs to the Ministry of Environment, which have greatly hampered the quick and timely response of the ministry to environmental issues that may require immediate state and national attention”.
Konya cited the issue of the recent earth tremor which occurred in Ahoada West on the 26th of June, 2016 as an example, stressing that the Rivers State Ministry of Environment never knew about it.
“It was by gravevine information and 3rd August 2016, (After More than one month that a staff of the ministry got information which made the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline S. Konya to contact on phoe the then CTC Chairman of Ahoada West, Hon. Jerry Akuru to confirm the incident,” she said.

John Bibor