RSG REITERATES PREPAREDNESS TO FIGHT FLOOD

Rivers State Government has put in place policies, programmes and structures to enhance flood manag3ment.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Special Duties Mrs. Ibaniba Briggs-Iti disclosed this while presenting a paper entitled ‘’Flood Management in Rivers State: Policies, Programmes and Structures’’ during the 2015 Flood Sensitization and Awareness Programme jointly organized by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Ministry of Special Duties in Port Harcourt.

Mrs. Briggs-Iti stated that the purpose of the sensitization and awareness workshop was to inform the public of the operations of the policies, programmes and structures in the management of flood as well as the roles of individuals in cases where flood occurs.
While highlighting the dangers of flood, the Permanent Secretary noted ‘’The impact of flood include deaths, destruction of homes and property, displacement of people, destruction of farm land, damage to roads as well as outbreak of diseases and damage to ecosystem’’.

Also speaking the South-South Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Ben Oghenah said the purpose of the workshop was to increase consciousness for well coordinated disaster management, risk reduction activities and flood prevention so as to fashion out more strategies for effective management of climate change.
Mr. Oghenah decried the increasing rise of hydro-metrological disaster which he referred to as a great challenge to disaster managers.
In his lecture entitled ‘’Flood Impact Mitigation in the Niger Delta’’, a Director in the Institute of Geosciences and Space Technology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Professor Kingdom Abam stated that Nigeria is exposed to flood risks from a variety of potential causes.

He identified the significance of NEMA and expressed optimism that with the collective support of organization, knowledge, capacity and resources, the organizations will ensure an effective and professional emergency management response.

Also speaking, the Director National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the State, Mr. Oliver Wolugbom disclosed the NOA is the only Government establishment mandated to enlighten and sensitize the citizenry on government programmes and activities in the country.
Mr. Wolugbom listed lack of logistics, funds, insecurity and difficult terrain as well as apathy on the part of citizens as factors militating against the role of the Agency.

Edi P. W.