The Anambra State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expanded its flood safety alert campaign to the flood-prone communities of Ayamelum, Anambra East, and West Local Government Areas of Anambra State.
During the safety alert visits, the Agency’s State Director, Mr.Edozie Ajaegbu, met with the locals at their respective local government headquarters in the Anaku, Otuocha, and Nzam communities.
During the visit, it was observed that the flood level had started rising, flooding many homes and public facilities.
Addressing the area’s inhabitants, the Anambra NOA boss advised them to adopt corrective measures to reduce the impact of the yearly flooding on the communities.
He also urged people to desilt the drainages around their buildings and avoid building their houses on or near water channels.
Distributing flyers on how to avert disaster during flooding, the Anambra NOA boss urged the people to be more proactive by knowing when floods occur in the area and what to do to avoid becoming victims.
While lending his voice, the Deputy Director of Programmes, NOA Awka, Mr.Remigus Obi, informed the people that the Cameroonian authorities had released the water from the Lagdo dam, hence the overflowing of the water banks in Nigeria.
He equally briefed them that the current flooding in the country would affect eleven states in Nigeria, of which Anambra State is one of them. He added that Ayamelum, Anambra East, and West Local Government Areas would be some places where the flood would hit hard in the state. He appealed to them to assist NOA in telling their people to move away from the flooding areas to protect their lives and property.
For their part, a Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of Anambra East, Mrs. Ngozi Udozor, the President-General of Anaku Community, Mr. Nwauba Paul, and the Deputy Chairman of Anambra West Local Government Area, Mrs. Nkerika Ndife, described the visit as very apt. They said educating and sensitizing the people on all they need to know about the flood is necessary to avoid more havoc in the worst-affected areas.
The Councillor representing Otuocha Ward Two, Mr. Neche Odigbo, an
d his counterpart in Aguleri -Otu ward, Emmanuel Moukwe, Mr.Henry Agu, called on the federal government to seek a permanent solution to the flooding by building irrigation for their early cultivation, dam, and dredging of the river Niger and Benue to contain the flood water from the Lagdo dam of Cameroon to Nigeria.
