BY IFEANYI UWAGWU
DELTANS have been assured of the state government’s preparedness to safeguard their lives and properties in the event of flash floods or other climate change effects. The State Commissioner, Bureau of Special Duties, Hon. Ejiro Etacherure conveyed this assurance in an exclusive interview with The Pointer. Reacting to a recent meteorological forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), predicting heavy rainfall in 13 states, including Delta, Etacherure emphasized that proactive measures were already in place to protect residents of flood prone areas.
This comes after NIMET issued a statement last Thursday predicting heavy rainfall in 13 states, warning of potential flash floods on roads, bridges, and low-lying areas that could disrupt vehicular traffic. The states predicted to experience heavy rainfall include Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Osun. Additionally, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Zamfara, Kano, Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Anambra states.
This weather development is attributed to the Madden-Julian Oscillation, which is expected to be strong over West Africa within the week. NIMET advised Nigerians to take necessary safety precautions and avoid walking through fast-flowing runoff waters But the commissioner said Delta was prepared to protect citizens from the effect of the flash flood.
“The Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration is a proactive one, and I can authoritatively state that measures are already in place to protect any citizen of the state that may be affected by the predicted torrential rainfall in the coming days.
We have well-equipped camps across the state that can accommodate any number of affected persons within a moment’s notice”, he stated. The commissioner also urged Deltans to report any incidents of flooding or emergencies through their leaders to the bureau or other related agencies.
