Rivers State Government has moved to proactively tackle the menace of flooding in the state.
This, the government said would minimize the impacts on communities and mitigate its attendant environmental, social and economic challenges.
The Rivers State Government led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara has also identified the Orashi region, made up of the Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Areas, as the epicenter and worst hit out of the 18 LGAs that are prone to flooding in the state identified by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).
Rivers State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Prof. Mrs. Ngozi Nma Odu said this at the sensitization meeting of the Committee with Stakeholders of the Orashi region held on Tuesday at the Faculty of Humanities Hall, Rivers State University Ahoada Campus.
She said that the devastation suffered by flood victims in this region is unprecedented, thus deserving priority attention of the State Government, and described the situation as dire and disturbing.
“In Ahoada West, the situation becomes so dire that there’s virtually no highland left for setting up Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. We’re often forced to evacuate residents to neighbouring Ahoada East, putting immense pressure on that local government as well.”
“Onelga and Abua/Odual face severe disruptions to daily life, with farmlands submerged and communities cut off. By focusing our initial efforts here, we’re addressing the most critical area first. It is like treating the heart of the problem, if we can manage flooding effectively in the Orashi Region, we will be better equipped to handle it in other areas.”
The Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Committee informed the gathering that; “the Orashi Region, with its rich biodiversity and fertile lands, has been a source of pride and sustenance for generations, lamenting that the location downstream from major dams presents us with significant challenges.
“The periodic release of water from these dams, particularly those in Cameroon, has become the primary cause of our devastating floods.
According to her; “In technical terms, we are dealing with a trans-boundary water management issue. But let me put it more simply: imagine our region as a low-lying basin, and the dam releases as a massive wave rushing towards us. Our land simply cannot absorb or channel away such large volumes of water so quickly.”
She pointed out that the devastating effects of the debilitating floods in those areas, which include threats to oil installations in ONELGA, further aggravates the the unwholesome environmental risk to the people, displacement of the people and the ancient cultural heritage of the Abua/Odual, Ahoada West which is usually submerged by water and Ahoada East which apart from being flooded also witnesses influx of refuge seeking displaced persons, thus causing unimaginable humanitarian crises difficult to contend with in that area and identified as the epicenter of flood.
The Deputy Governor stated that in order to combat and reduce the negative effects of this situation, the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee intends to employ a multi-faceted approach through the combination of diplomatic efforts, infrastructure improvement and community preparedness, adding that the process include early warning systems by NIMET, enhanced Water Management Infrastructure involving upgrading of the State’s flood control systems by identifying elevated safe zones, improving drainage networks, and initiating an intensive drain-clearing programme across all LGAs, identification of potential safe zones, evacuation routes, and support systems unique to each area.
She emphasised that the Committee plans to initiate a holistic flood- agriculture resilient and harped on drawing from the knowledge of the people of the impacted areas on coping strategies learned from previous flood and combination of this age long method with modern approaches to salvage the situation.
In his remarks the head of NEMA Mr. Chidi Ogundu applauded Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his proactive response in addressing the challenges of flooding in the State, emphasizing that the Rivers State Government stands out as the first to do so.
The Local Government Councils in the area have also declared their preparedness to tackle the flooding challenges heads on, while community Stakeholders who spoke at the event, urged the government to find a permanent solution to the flooding problems which have caused untold hardship to the people and requested relief materials to cushion the effect of the flooding of their farmlands.
The Stakeholders also suggested the dredging of the Orashi River to absorb excess water flowing from River Niger when it overflows it banks.
In a brief lecture, the keynote speaker, Dr. Kingsley Nwogbidi, highlighted the importance of Early Warning signs and proper approach to effective flood mitigation, control and management.
Speaking to the press after the event the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson noted that the Committee will tour all the flashpoints of the 18 identified LGAs in order to ascertain the level of impact of flooding so as to give the appropriate attention to their challenges.
