By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Anambra state government has said it did not want to lose any soul to the menace of flooding in the State in the year 2023.
The state government also announced its executed and ongoing plans and actions to mitigate the usual devastating effects of flooding in the State this year.
The State Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, disclosed these while interacting with the Anambra State Flood Response Committee in Awka, the state capital.
According to him, the state government has concluded plans on how to ensure the wellbeing and safety of those in riverine communities in the state during the flooding, including provision of Holding Centres among other things.
The Deputy Governor further advised stakeholders and Transition Committee Chairmen of the flood prone local government areas in the state, such as Ayamelum, Anambra East and West, Ogbaru, Awka North, and others, to enhance efforts in educating their communities about relocating to Holding Centers for safety when the anticipated flooding begins. He also emphasized the importance of understanding that while properties lost to flooding can be replaced, lives cannot.
On his own part, the Chairman, Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Chief Paul Odenigbo, expressed the Agency’s readiness to support the state government in ensuring the safety and well-being of those in Holding Centers across flood-prone local government areas. He also encouraged individuals and groups to offer their assistance to potential flood victims.
In interviews with newsmen, Mr. ThankGod Anago, Transition Committee Chairman for Awka North, and Mr. Felix Ikechi, his counterpart in Anambra West, affirmed their dedication to preventing loss of life in their respective council areas during the flooding. In line with the Deputy Governor’s directive, the duo also pledged to carry out safety awareness campaigns in churches, markets, and other public spaces, to ensure that the people are properly sensitized on the much-talked-about flood.
