IMO: NEMA issues warning to 4 communities over impending floods

Four communities in Imo State have been warned to prepare to evacuate, over an impending flood which may occur any time soon.

The warning was issued on Sunday by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which noted that the alert was important especially with the recent prediction by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) that, Imo was among the states in Nigeria likely to be affected by flooding in 2019.

While speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Head of Imo/Abia Operation Office of NEMA, Mr Evan Ugoh said the affected communities are: Eziorsu, Afiaofu, Orsuobodo and Ossemotto all in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta Local Government Area.

He also added that communities within the Orashi bank of River Niger might also be affected by the likely flooding.

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“Flood prone communities must remain alert and also take bold step by relocating to safer areas,” Ugoh said.

He also added that; “The practice of building of houses on waterways must be discouraged and I also use this medium to urge the state government to muster political courage to demolish all houses built along the water ways.

Ugo expressed concern that some communities were in the habit of not taking NEMA’s early warning alert seriously.

“People are usually not serious when it comes to early warning prediction, but we will continue to educate them on the need to always monitor the sea level around them and report same to authorities,” he said.

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