2020 Flood Prediction: Don Tasks Civil Societies On Action

A professor of Geosciences at the University of Port Harcourt Enurie G. Akpokodje has tasked Civil Society Organisations (CSOS) in the Niger Delta to initiate programmes that will wakeup governments in the region to put in place mitigative measures against the expected impact of the looming flooding this year in the region.
Professor Akpokodje said this is a telephone interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt while reacting to this year’s rainfalls and flood prediction by the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) in the Niger Delta.
The University don said time had come for Civil Society organisations in the region to commit government to take actions that will mitigate the expected impacts of the looming disaster.
“This is the time to wake up government. This is the time to sensitise government to do something by way of reducing the impact,” he said.
According to him, Civil Society organisations can create the needed awareness by way of holding seminars, workshops, rallies and even paying visits to government functionaries with a view to delivering a position paper on the issue.
According to him, “Civil society Organisations can organise road show to remind government that this is the time to do something about the looming disaster.”
He however, regretted that government at all levels in the country seemed not to be paying attention to issue of flooding in the country.
“Government is doing noting. They are just politicking,” the university don who is member of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Rivers State said the society had lined up series of workshops and seminars on the effect of flooding this year.
It would be recalled that the Geoscientist in one of his lectures last year, called for the implementation of the Port Harcourt flood masterplan.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) has predicted heavy rainfalls and flooding this year.
In its 2020 flood outlook, the agency said Rivers State will suffer severe flooding as a result of a heavy rainfall.
Local governments likely to suffer the effect of the flooding according to the agency include: Ogba Egbema/Ndoni, Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Abua/Odual, Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor amongst others.