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Civil Society organizations and some selected communities in Rivers State have cried out over the current devastation of communities in the state by flood, occasioned by climate change.
Addressing community and civil society organization representatives recently in Port Harcourt, executive director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Emen Okon, explained that the flooding is a yearly affair affecting women, education and farm land, adding that there is no progress especially in the communities because of this. She noted that there is the need to adopt measures to address the flooding in Rivers State once and for all.
Okon stated that the flooding has exposed that there was no preparatory measures taken, especially on adaptation and mitigation measures, asking if there is any concrete plan at the federal, state, local government levels and communities in relation to mitigating the impact of flooding.
She queried the rational for the establishment of camps where there is no food, no water, no toilet facilities and school for children. “There is need for concrete measure for climate change and flood,” she said.
Kebetkache’s executive director told journalists that the program was one of the media engagements organized by OXFAM and her organisation on budget monitoring and taxation on the Finance for Development initiative.
President of Pius Dukor Foundation for Community Development, Comrade Pius Dukor, through a graphic presentation explained that flooding had prevented them from getting access to some of the communities they need to work especially on issues such as community need assessment, budget monitoring and taxation. Dukor tasked government agencies such as NEMA to come to assist communities in Rivers State with relief materials as it concern both women and children most.
He pointed out that some of the flooding is associated with climate change while calling on government to use the ecology fund to mitigate the calamities associated with flooding.
In separate reports, Mark Kikpoye of Abua Odual Local government, Hon. Victory Olulu of K. Dere Community in Gokana LGA, Ezekiel Ezekiel of Ahoada and Pastor Dandy of Ogba Egbema Ndoni lamented the level of flood in their communities without any government intervention. Other communities badly affected include Akinima, Okaki, Engene in Ahoada. In Abua LGA, the flooding communities are Ekunuga, Aminikpokor and Emelema among others.
Also speaking Mrs. Ngozi Azuwa of Erema community expressed shock that since September this year the people are now refugees in their homes as their livelihood have been completed wipe away by the flood.
Mrs. Azuwa said since the flood occurred, no government agency or representative have help the community because the flood has led to premature cassava harvesting, the disappearing of fish pond. “We are suffering living like refugees and many women and children are badly affected no federal, state or local government had shown sympathy,” she said.
In her contribution, a publisher and veteran journalist, Constance Meju, tasked the ministry of Agriculture at all levels to tackle the issue of food shortage because of the flooding in Rivers State. Others call on government to reduce the risk of death due to flooding. It could be recall that Community Secondary School Nkpolu.
