2024 Flood: Include Rivers In Response Plans, Pro-Wike Lawmakers Beg NEMA, Govt Agencies
2 min read
Edith CHUKU
Worried by the threat of flood and the looming effects on the residents of Rivers State, the 27 lawmakers have called on the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, to ensure that the State is included in their flood response plans.
The pro-Wike lawmakers during the assembly’s 47th legislative session on Monday, also made this call to other relevant government bodies.
The motion was introduced by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, who emphasized that the expected flooding is based on information from the Republic of Cameroon.
He revealed that the Cameroonian authorities have informed the Nigerian government of their intention to regulate the release of water from the Lagdo Dam due to recent heavy rainfall in West and Central Africa.
The deputy speaker of the Tenth Assembly in the State House of Assembly, urged his fellow members to support the motion unanimously.
During the discussions, members expressed strong solidarity in favor of the motion, highlighting the urgent need to inform their constituents about the impending flood.
Addressing the motion’s provisions, Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule confirmed that the motion’s intentions are well-founded.
He subsequently tasked a Joint Committee, comprising the House Committees on Environment and Emergency Relief, to collaborate with NEMA, the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, and other relevant agencies.
He said their objective is to ensure that adequate measures are taken to mitigate the effects of the impending disaster and provide necessary assistance to those who may be affected by the flood, which has already begun to encroach upon the coastal areas of Rivers State.
According to him, the committee is expected to submit its report to the House within one week.
Earlier in the session, Amaewhule congratulated the members on their recent legal victory at the Federal High Court in Abuja, affirming that “justice would ultimately prevail despite the challenges posed by our adversaries.”
