Imo government has appealed to residents in flood-prone communities to be vigilant or relocate to safer ground to curtail flood related disaster in the state.
Mrs Calista Ahmed, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Hope Uzodinma on Social Development and Humanitarian Services, gave charge on Monday when she visited some communities in Oguta Local Council area.
Ahmed said the visit was predicated on the earlier warning by the Federal Government that Imo was among the states prone to heavy flooding this year.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Ministry of Water Resources recently released the 2021 annual flood outlook and Imo was listed among 27 states prone to heavy flooding in 2021.
It will be recalled that flood related disaster has been a yearly occurrence in Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema local council areas, where no fewer than 30 houses were submerged by flood in 2020.
He governor’s aide said her focus was to ensure that flood prone communities were not caught unaware by the prediction in 2021, more so when the rainy season had begun.
She added that her office would continue to liaise with flood prone communities to avert any likely disaster.
Ahmed said Gov. Hope Uzodinma’s administration had taken the early warning campaign to flood prone communities to contain any disaster.
“It’s better to prevent disaster than to send relief materials to victims; so the government is poised to ensure that our people does not fall victim of flood again,” she said.
She warned against the building of structures on waterway and urged disaster managers to remain alert in case of any emergency. (NAN).
