Rivers State Government has begun paying ₦200,000 to identified victims of recent flooding to cushion the impact of the disaster. The funds are being paid directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Flood Management Committee, Professor Ngozi Odu, announced the intervention while meeting victims from Rukpokwu at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Professor Odu assured the victims of continued government support through cash assistance, relief materials and healthcare. She said affected residents would also be enrolled in the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme for free medical care.
Beyond immediate relief, the government says it is working on longer-term measures to tackle recurring floods.
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Professor Odu said plans were underway to redirect floodwaters into designated canals, while Governor Siminalayi Fubara has directed the Ministries of Works and Environment to intensify drainage clearance and desilting.
The floods have ravaged communities across Port Harcourt Municipal and Obio-Akpor Local Government Areas, leaving some residents using canoes to access their homes.
The Rivers State Flood Management and Control Committee later visited flood-hit communities in Obio-Akpor.
The team’s first port of call were areas specifically around Nkpolu, EDMAC Estate, Mercyland. Professor Odu stressed that flood prevention requires collective effort, noting that human activities often worsen urban flooding.
At Eneka, the Deputy Governor reiterated the government’s commitment to relief, healthcare and financial assistance for affected residents.
Responding on behalf of the Eneka community, Secretary of the Council of Chiefs, Ejekwe Wobidi, thanked the state government for the intervention and described the flooding as the worst he had witnessed in his lifetime.
The Deputy Governor and her team concluded the visit by assuring residents that the government would sustain relief efforts while pursuing lasting solutions to the flooding challenge.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
