Flood: Houses on waterways to go as NEMA asks Abia, Imo Communities to relocate to safer ground

Houses already built on waterways in the Abia and Imo states may be demolished to allow free flow of water and mitigate the impact of flooding, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has said.

The Agency also urged residents of flood prone communities in the two states to relocate to safer ground to avoid flooding.

Head of Imo/Abia Operations office of NEMA, Evans Ugoh, made the call in Owerri, on Monday, during a sensitization visit to some flood prone communities in the two states.

Ugoh, who led a team of NEMA officials and other disaster stakeholders on the sensitization rally, warned against building houses on waterways.

According to him, based on the prediction, it became necessary for NEMA to hold a sensitization campaign in the two states which ended in roadshow and rally in Abia.

“In response to NIHSA and NIMET prediction, NEMA Director General, Muhammadu A. Muhammed, approved the sensitization, aimed at sending early warning signal to prone communities,” he said.

He urged Imo and Abia residents to ensure monthly sanitation and regular decongestion of drainage.

According to the NEMA official, local governments likely to be affected in Abia include Umunneochi, Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North and Ukwa West while in Imo are South council, Owerri West, Owerri North, Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta.

Nigeria Hydrological Services, NIHSA, and Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET, had predicted torrential rains in 28 states, including Imo from September to December, which may cause serious flooding in the affected states.

In 2012, some communities in Imo had come under serious flooding, while about 80 houses were submerged in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta councils in 2019.