The Rivers State Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Emeka A. Nwogu, has assured the flood victims in the state of adequate protection and regular supply of relief materials and food items till the end of the flooding.
Hon. Nwogu gave the assurance while in a chat with journalists in Port Harcourt, shortly after presentation of food items and relief materials to the affected flood victims at Ahoada West and Ahoada East Local Government Areas.
Hon. Nwogu noted that the vendors have been mobilized to ensure that food items and relief materials get to all the flood victims.
According to him, Hotels have been rented and some of the staff of the ministry of special duties have been moved to the affected areas such as Ahoada that they protect those affected as well as present food items and relief materials to them adding that the ministry would operate there until the end of the flood.
The former lawmaker representing Omuma constituency expressed fear that the East West road may be cut off due to the rise of flood stressing that it would be impossible to reach out to others affected hence the ministry officials must settled be in the area and operate there in the mean time to protect the victims.
The commissioner who described the scenario as national and natural disaster as it affected 21 out of the 36 states of the federation disclosed that the flood would have been worst more than the present situation in Rivers State if not the state governor’s intervention by creating carnals and setting up flood management team headed by Engineer Tele Ikuru the deputy governor of Rivers State to take care of the affected victims of the flood stressing that over six hundred persons have been affected as well a destruction of crops and other farm products.
On the challenges of the state government, Hon. Nwogu who lamented over the increase in price of food commodities noted that the budget on the disaster cannot go any where adding that there will be no financial compensation for the victims because it will be too much for the government.
On security of the victims, he noted that the security agencies such as the army, police and Red Cross Society have been deplored to the affected areas to secure the lives of the affected persons.
On the news making the round in the state that sharing of food items to the people affected is a PDP affair, Hon. Nwogu debunked the insinuation stressing that the people taking care of the affected persons are only government elected officials who represents the LGAs such as the councilors and advisers.
Engineer Tele Ikuru the deputy governor of the state and the chairman of the relief management team of the flood victims who led the team to Ahaoda East, Ahoada West LGAs expressed sympathy with the victims of the flood saga in the area.
He described the scenario as a natural disaster which could have been avoided if the governments had the power to do that.
Engineer Ikuru who assured the people of protection and provision of food items set up committees which comprised all the chairmen of the four LGAs Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogba Egbema, Ndoni LGA and Abu Odua LGA as coordinators of the various campuses where the flood victims are resided. He also appointed some of the military officers as commandants that would be incharge of the security of the various campuses and presented relief materials such as over 230 foams, 1500 pillows, galas, milks and other food items.
Meanwhile President Goodluck Jonathan has described flood in Rivers State as the worst flood so far since the creation of the state in 1967.
The president who was accompanied by Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi the governor of Rivers State, Barrister E.N. Wike the minister of State for Education, Engineer Tele Ikuru and other government officials to witness the flood victims at the Mbiama secondary school in Ahoada West LGA where the victims are camped assured the victims of protection. ###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
