By Gloria Acholonu (Imo State Correspondent, in Owerri)
Nigerians have been advised to be at alert and remove all obstacles that will lead to the flooding of their residential areas, as the rainy season sets in.
Former Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor on State Orientation, Chief Dr Fidel Onyeneke, gave the advice in Owerri on Monday while reacting to the perennial rainfall which has commenced in different parts of the country,including Imo State.
Chief Onyeneke stressed that the people should be proactive,and remove all rubbish and other materials that blocked the waterways in the various towns and communities. He observed with dismay that rather than making early arrangements to check impending flood disaster, most residents displayed non-challant attitude which might leave them at the mercy of the rain flood eventually.
Onyeneke called for the clearing of the bushes within the living environment, as well as the desilting of the draignages and the opening of water channels in the flood-prone areas. He appealed to the State and Local governments to assist the vulnerable communities with appropriate machinery and manpower to work towards preventing the impending flood problems.
The former aide to the Imo governor also suggested that nake-shift camps should be established in the riverine areas as a matter of emergency, to minimize the suffering of the persons who may be displaced if the disasters occurs. He urged Government Departments and Non-governmental Organizations to embark on intensive public engagement and advocacy with a view to educating the masses on how to protect the environment and farmland against destruction by flood.
The media expert however urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agencies to live up to their professional responsibilities, and ensure that the rural dwellers were appropriately guided on the precautionary measures to take against the dangers of flooding. NNL.
