The National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA)has appealed to local government authorities of flood affected communities in South-South to relocate the residents to safe higher ground.
Mr Godwin Tepikor, the Zonal Coordinator, NEMA South-South Zone, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Port Harcourt.
Tepikor said that the agency’s zonal office carried out assessment on the flood predicted areas and revealed that several communities in the zone have all been submerged by flooding.
He listed such areas to include Akinfa, Amasoma,Ayama in Bayelsa.
Others are Anibucha, Okuzi, Aga, Ugede and Aniekpe in Rivers State.
The Coordinator disclosed that the flooding affected farmlands, fish ponds, pig farms, crops, sources of drinking water, including household properties in these communities.
“As we observed,the economic trees and sources of livelihood in the areas were affected, so it is expected that government at all levels should come together and ensure that they assist the people.
“On our part, the agency has put measures in place within the 36 states of the federation.
“So we expect the states in the flood predicted area, especially the South-South and those communities that have started experiencing flood to be on top of their activities.
“This is to mitigate the impact of the flood on the people,”he said.
Tepikor called on the authorities of all the local government areas affected to be the first responders to relocate the affected communities to mitigate the impact of flood on the people.
According to Tepikor, the agency advices governments of these states to relocate these vulnerable communities to safe higher ground.
“NEMA expects that the states involved should have been prepared by mapping out safe grounds in collaboration with the agency and also have their relief supplies ready to assist the affected communities.
“The agency will continue to monitor the rising water level across the predicted states in the zone.
“It will as well monitor their level of preparedness on the flooding as predicted by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency(NISA),”Tepikor said.
