Rivers State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Professor Ngozi Odu, says the state government is stepping up relief efforts for people affected by flooding, especially in the worst-hit communities.
She spoke on Friday while receiving a delegation from the National Emergency Management Agency at the Government House in Port Harcourt. Odu said Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed the committee to intensify assistance after returning from the United Nations General Assembly and learning of the worsening flood situation. She said the state had distributed food and other relief items to several local government areas and would also provide financial assistance to some victims. Odu added that the government is clearing blocked waterways and improving drainage systems to reduce flooding.
The Deputy Governor also disclosed that the state government has started paying 200,000 naira directly into the bank accounts of identified flood victims. Also speaking, NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Abubakar Umar, represented by the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Bature Usman, said the agency had begun assessing affected communities and would provide relief materials while working with the state government and other agencies.
