By David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hon. Mustapha Maihaja, has assured flood victims in Anambra State of assistance from the federal government to ease their sufferings.
Maihaja paid a one-day visit to Ogbaru Local Government Area in company with the council chairman, Hon. Arinze C. Awogu; the state Chairman, Nigeria Red Cross Society, Prof. Peter Katchy; the Special Adviser to Governor Obiano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hon. Emeka Obinwanne, among other top officials of NEMA and SEMA.
The DG, represented by the acting DG, NEMA, Air Commodore Aikhogbu Iyamu (rtd), urged the people in the affected areas, communities especially at Odekpe and Atani etc to move out of their homes to upland areas which is safe.
He said: “Relief materials including food items, drugs, mosquito nets etc have been provided to assist all flood victims. Whatsoever should be done must be done.”
The NEMA DG however stated that nobody can control nature, insisting that globally flood management has always posed problems even in the United States.
He promised to brief the DG on his on-the-spot findings in Anambra, adding that: “Ours is work out how to save people in the distressed area.
“The Nigerian metrological agency and NIMET have warned people to expect flooding in some areas. The Army, Navy and NEMA have provided food and non-food items and all will be used maximally to assist victims.”
Earlier, the Council Chairman, Arinze Awogu, stressed the need to prepare camps early, especially the holding centres (IDPs) in Anambra in order to support victims, even as he urged NEMA to intervene immediately.
Awogu also requested information on the on-going situation in the dredging of River Niger, saying it will help to control the water released from dams and that flow from Cameroon.
