By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—NATIONAL Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has advised residents of flood-prone communities in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta local government areas of Imo State, to immediately relocate to safer grounds. The advice came on the heels of the early warning from relevant Federal Government agencies, including the security organizations, about the impending flood that would hit the affected communities.

File: Flood-at-Agbado-Crossing-Ogun-

The Head of NEMA Operations in Imo and Abia states, Dr. Innocent Ezeaku, explained that the agency preferred giving the advice early enough to avoid a repeat of the ugly experience of 2012, which sacked several families and submerged so many communities in the affected local council areas.

“The relocation is to avoid the unpleasant experiences of the past, which is likely to repeat, especially with the heavy rains and the release of excess water from the Cameroonian dam,” Dr. Ezeaku said. According to the NEMA official, the excess water from Cameroon would affect the banks of Rivers Niger and Benue, as well as Urahsi River.

“The high risk areas are the riverine communities close to the Urashi River and Njaba River. These rivers will not only receive water from the River Niger, but will likely overflow their banks,” the NEMA official said. Answering a question, Dr. Ezeaku passionately appealed to residents of the flood-prone communities to temporarily relocate until the water level recedes.

Vanguard recalls that flood ravaged large proportions of all the communities close to the rivers in 2012, and rendered thousands of families homeless, while a few reportedly died. It would also be recalled that the Federal Government remitted a staggering sum of N400 million to Imo State, to enable it soothe the nerves of the people sacked by flood.