Flooding: NEMA, AnSEMA others intensify preparations, urge residents to relocate

The National Emergency Management Agency and its counterparts in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states said they have set up machinery to respond to the impending floods in the zone.

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency have issued fresh warnings about possible flooding in about 19 states in the country and called for preparedness to prevent the disaster.

NAN reports that NEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders have taken proactive measures, including sensitising the public across the zone on how to mitigate flooding if it happens.

In Anambra, the state government says it has set up about 16 Holding Centres for possible victims of flooding in the state.

The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Chief Paul Odenigbo, told NAN that the centres were located in Ogbaru, Aguleri and Ifite Ogwari in Anambra East and Ayamelum Local Government Areas.

Odenigbo said the Agency had continued to sensitise residents in the flood-exposed communities and trained local people on emergency response skills.

The Executive Secretary, who said the flood was imminent, expressed worry over the reluctance of the people to vacate their homes in spite of several warnings.

He, however, said that AnSEMA and NEMA were intensifying their partnership to reduce the negative impact of flooding on the people in riverine communities when it eventually happened.

“We have sensitised the people on the looming danger and told them the need to move; we have also trained local emergency response volunteers on what to do, including the early signs.

“We have set up 16 Holding Centres in the Anambra North areas where flood is a problem.

“We have fumigated and put in place toilet, water, and other essential facilities to make it comfortable when people move in,” he said.

Odenigbo said the four-day flood disaster response simulation exercise codenamed “Ide Mmiri Odachi” held at the Naval Outpost in Ogbaru had sharpened the skills of personnel.

“The flood is real and escalating due to climate change, poor urban planning, and other environmental factors.

“The entire communities in Anambra, particularly in the riverine belts, are displaced every year, livelihoods destroyed, infrastructure eroded, and lives tragically lost,” he said.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have also undertaken an assessment tour of the disaster-prone area.

Commandant Olatunde Maku, NSCDC, Anambra, urged residents in flood-prone communities in Anambra to begin to relocate upland ahead of possible flooding and take proactive and precautionary measures.

He called for collaboration with traditional rulers, Presidents-General and other relevant stakeholders in disaster preparedness and management across the state.

In response to the anticipated flooding, key stakeholders in Ebonyi have also taken a proactive approach through stakeholder engagement.

Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Clement Ovuoba, said that the measures were implemented through sensitisation campaigns and town hall meetings to educate residents on flood mitigation best practices.

Ovuoba, who was represented by the Head of Administration in the agency, Mr Sunday Omoha, added that the public sensitisation featured raising awareness on flood risks, residents living in areas prone to flooding and near river lines should adhere advice to relocate to safer ground.

He highlighted some local governments easily submerged by flood to include Abakaliki, Izzi, Ikwo, Ebonyi and Ivo.

Ovuoba stated, “The stakeholders’ sensitisation campaign and town hall meetings were held in late July, in collaboration with NEMA on the best ways to mitigate flooding.

“It is still ongoing and we have effectively reached residents on live television programme.

Community heads also took the campaign to the grassroots. We are working seriously towards the warning given.

“We had written to Gov Francis Nwifuru for the stockpiling of relief materials, kits in readiness for the imminent flooding.”

“We have filed official reports on the spot assessment visit to communities worst hit to include Onakpoke community in Abakaliki,” Ovuoba said.

In his remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Nigerian and Watershed Management Project, Mr Philip Echiegu, urged residents of flood-prone areas to adhere to measures to mitigate the impact of flood disaster.

Echiegu stated that Iyiudele and Iyioku Rivers, which collect water into Ebonyi River, were targeted in the next project to enhance waterway.

In response to the imminent flood, NEMA says it has conducted a joint flood preparedness simulation with State Emergency Management Agencies in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States as part of efforts to mitigate possible flooding.

The Head of Operations of NEMA in Enugu, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, told NAN in Enugu that the simulation was done in July in Ogbaru council area in Anambra by NEMA, SEMAs officials and other critical stakeholders.

According to Echeazu, the simulation and clear definitions of roles of various agencies and specialised non-governmental organisations were proactive preparation measures in view of the 2025 Flood Prediction and early rainfall in the states.

“NEMA distributed scores of warning letters to governors, council chairmen, community, traditional and religious heads on the need for preparation and currently working with Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) to monitor river water levels and water flows.

“We have worked with SEMAs in each state to identify and mark out Internally Displaced People (IDP) centres in higher grounds in flood-prone communities,” she said.

The NEMA operations head said it had also sensitised LEMC officials/leaders on actions to take and to contact SEMA and NEMA immediately.

“We recently opened a WhatApp group between NEMA, SEMA and LEMCs in each state for seamless communication, real-time messaging, feedback, photos and video recording on what is happening at the communities where incidents of flooding occur,” she said.

Echeazu said that NEMA had carried out flood sensitisation to markets within Enugu metropolis and its three urban council areas to check flash floods and sensitisation to Amaechi-Idodo community in Enugu East LGA and two communities in Ezeagu LGA.

She said that the agency also had some selected sensitisation to be done in Anambra, especially in riverine and flood-prone communities by NEMA’s headquarters officials, as well as some sensitisation in communities in Ebonyi.

The head of operations revealed that the Nigeria Red Cross would be organising another flood preparedness simulation soon after a meeting with critical stakeholders to intensify the response to any flooding disaster.

“In all our programmes done in the past five months on flood preparedness, we have carried along and actively involved SEMAs, LEMCs, Red Cross, FRSC and NDLEA among others,” she added.

She, however, urged residents to ensure proper waste disposal; desilt drains and never empty refuse on drains and build structures on waterways, among other negative environmental habits.

Reacting, the Chairman of Enugu South LGA, Chief Caleb Ani, said the council had concluded its “Operation Open Drainages” adding that the council deployed resources to ensure that major drainages and waterways were opened.

Ani noted that ward councillors and neighbourhood/street chairmen had been engaged and sensitised on the need to complement what the council had done by desilting drainages and waterways in their areas.

The chairman noted that he had briefed market chairmen that indiscriminate dumping of refuse within the middle of the road and on drainage, especially by traders, would not be tolerated any more.

“We want to ensure that proactive steps are taken to forestall all forms of flooding, be it flash flood,” he said.

NAN