ASABA/Nigeria: In a bid to proactively address the looming threat of floods, the Delta State Government has taken a crucial step by convening a 14-member strong committee dedicated to managing the potential disaster. The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday in Asaba, with Dr. Kingsley Emu, the Secretary to the State Government, at the helm.
With a pressing need to safeguard the state’s inhabitants, particularly those residing in coastal areas, Dr. Kingsley Emu emphasized the committee’s responsibility to raise awareness. He called upon citizens to relocate to higher ground, marking it as a vital preventive measure.
The 2023 Flood Disaster Management Committee comprises a diverse array of key officials: Dr. Kingsley Emu assumes the role of Chairman, alongside Hon. Ejiro Terry, Commissioner for Special Duties, who takes up the Co-Chair position. Additional members include Mr. Jamani Ejiro, Commissioner for Environment; Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, Commissioner for Health; Dr. Kingsley Ashibuogwu, Commissioner for Primary Education; Mrs. Rose Ezewu, Commissioner for Secondary Education; and Orode Uduaghan, Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Social and Girl Child Development.
Other members are Barr. Funyei Manager, Commissioner of Special Projects; Hon. Victor Ebonka, Chairman of ALGON; Chief Jaro Egbo, Special Adviser on Transport; Barr. Lyna Ocholor, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Mr. Karo Ovemeso, Executive Secretary of SEMA; Sir Festus Ahon, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor; and Mr. Greg Ejowomu, Permanent Secretary at the Bureau for Special Duties.
During the committee’s inaugural meeting, Dr. Kingsley Emu, in his capacity as the Secretary to the State Government, underlined the gravity of the situation and the pivotal role the committee members held. He urged them to approach their responsibilities with diligence, as the well-being of countless individuals depended on their efforts to provide adequate assistance to flood victims.
Dr. Kingsley Emu also disclosed that an ongoing awareness campaign was being broadcast across various media outlets for the past two weeks. The campaign aims to enlighten the public about the imperative need to exercise caution by relocating from flood-prone regions to evade imminent danger.
He said that to provide tangible support, plans are underway to establish relief camps within the flood-affected zones of the state, offering a safe haven for those potentially impacted by the impending floods.
The committee’s scope of work encompasses several critical objectives: proposing effective measures for flood prevention and management, devising strategies to address the displacement of affected individuals, and recommending ways to provide essential relief materials to victims.
In a direct effort to reach out to the public in distress, the committee shared the hotline numbers for government intervention: 08064137841 and 08037200696.
