From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Delta State Government on Friday said holding camps have been opened across the state to temporary accommodate flood displaced persons.
Director General of the state Bureau of Orientation, Eugene Uzum who stated during a press briefing in Asaba, urged residents in flood prone areas to relocate to higher planes or access the holding camps.
Uzum stated that adequate arrangement was in place to address the education, health and other needs of flood victims during their stay at the camps.
He said the state government took a proactive step to set up of a high powered Inter-Ministerial Flood and Disaster Management Committee headed by Secretary to the State Government, Patrick Ukah.
According to him, government was concerned about the lives and property of citizens living in flood prone areas following the forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
“You will recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) have been consistent in their annual flood forecast and this year’s prediction is no exception.
“As a proactive government, the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led government has taken proactive measures to ensure that there is no loss of lives and minimal damage to property.
“In 2012 we had flooding that was very drastic across the country of which Delta had its fair share of the challenge and since then it has become a recurring decimal.
“The 2022 flood forecast is estimated at 3,000mm and 4,000mm and this is very huge compared to what we had in previous years.
“It’s important to note that the Office of the SSG and the Ministry of Environment have been monitoring the flood levels along River Niger and its tributaries,” he said.
Uzum further said the State Government was working with the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), traditional rulers s and presidents-general of communities to deepen sensitisation efforts.
“At the moment the water levels have moved up and government has started relocating them to ensure that no loss of lives and minimal damage to property.
“We encourage our people who are at the low lands to move to upland while crops should be harvested to avoid total loss of agricultural products.
“Today the floods are here and from available records, it has risen to 3,200mm and 3,400mm and expected to get to 4,000mm based on the forecast of NiMet and other agencies.
“So what we have done is to take this information to the people because of the challenges of ignorance and cultural beliefs and we are convinced that they would relocate accordingly.
“The setting up of IDP camps would be based on needs assessment going by the level of flood waters,” Uzum stated.