2021 Flooding: NEMA Tasks States On Emergency Measures

The South South zonal office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has called on states in the zone to be prepared to relocate their citizens to higher grounds in the events of flooding this year.
Zonal Director of the agency, Godwin Tepikor said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt.
Tepikor said in line with the Nigerian Hydrological Survey Agency (NIHSA) production, some parts of the Niger Delta will experience devastating flooding this year.
He said the prediction should make state governments in the region to think of enduring measures to mitigate the impact of the impending flood disaster.
The Zonal Director, however regretted that most state governments in the Niger Delta region are not giving a thought to the issue.
“Let’s begin to take measures to mitigate the impact of flood, people should look for a higher ground to move to”, he said.
He noted that states in the region have roles to play in the management of flooding and its impact, stressing that NEMA is only playing the role of a coordinator as far as flooding management is concerned.
The Director also advised citizens in the zone to adopt measures that will reduce the impact of flooding in their communities.
According to him, citizens must stop using waterways as a receptacle to throw waste while building on water right of ways should be discouraged.
He also called for regular sanitation to clear the waterways of debris, while both states and local governments in the zone must regularly enlighten their people on ways of combating flooding

By: John Bibor