Rivers govt moves to cushion flood impact in Degema

The Rivers State Government has handed over relief materials to Degema and Tai local government areas for distribution to residents affected by recent flooding in the state.

The Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Nma-Odu, stated this on Friday during the presentation of the items to the chairmen of the two councils, Michael Williams of Degema and Mbakpone Okpe of Tai, at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder Operational Base, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.

Nma-Odu, who is the chairman of the State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, said the intervention was part of the government’s efforts, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to mitigate the impact of flooding on affected communities while pursuing sustainable solutions to the problem.

The deputy governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Peters Nwagor, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Honour Sirawoo, acknowledged the hardship caused by the flooding.

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She noted that although the government could not immediately eliminate the suffering of affected residents, it remained committed to easing their difficulties through relief interventions.

In a statement issued by the Head of Press Unit, Owupele Benebo, the deputy governor explained that the relief materials were intended to support the most vulnerable victims.

She stressed that community chiefs, traditional rulers, Community Development Committee members and local government chairmen had important roles to play in identifying those most affected by the disaster.

Nma-Odu urged the council chairmen to ensure that the items reached the intended beneficiaries without political considerations, adding that the distribution must be fair and transparent.

She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting flood-affected communities and called on relevant stakeholders to ensure that the relief materials were distributed equitably.

The statement added that the intervention formed part of the state government’s broader response to the recent flooding, aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by affected residents across the state.

Responding, the Chairman of Degema Local Government Council, Williams, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Pastor Ipalibo Yellowe, assured the state government that the donated relief materials would be distributed transparently to ensure they reached flood victims.