Anambra Ready for 2023 Flood—SEMA
Anambra State Government has assured that it has made adequate preparations toward ensuring that flood disaster is contained if it eventually occurs this year as has been predicted.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Chief Paul Odenigbo, who gave the assurance during training for the Local Emergency Management Committee and some Health workers in all the 10 flood-prone Local government areas of the state held at Anambra East Local government Headquarters, Otuocha.
Chief Odenigbo, who was represented by an Administrative Officer in the Agency, Mrs. Rita Omega, said that the training was part of the preparations given the predictions made by all the relevant government agencies that there would be floods in about 32 states of the country, including Anambra.
The SEMA Executive Secretary informed that the Agency had carried out sensitization in all the riverine areas, and advised the residents to be prepared to relocate to higher grounds whenever they are called to do so as adequate arrangements had been made for holding Camps, in readiness for such occurrence.
The Representative of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Enugu Zone, Mr. Kennedy Eke, urged the Local Emergency Management Committee and other relevant stakeholders in the various riverine areas to be at alert and ensure that they notify the state and federal agencies whenever they get notifications of increase in water level.
Speaking, the Transition Committee Chairman, Anambra East LGA, Dr. Anselem Onuora, affirmed that they were making adequate arrangements to ensure that lapses observed during the last year’s flood incident are corrected, especially in the area of hygiene and medical care for flood victim’s in the camps.
According to him, the local government had concluded plans to engage volunteer health workers who will assist in the provision of services especially to nursing mothers and pregnant women as well as children and aged persons.
The Assistant Field Coordinator, International Organization for Migration, Anambra State, Mr. Hezekiah Samuel, said the essence of the training was to equip the LEMC with the relevant knowledge needed in order to be able to act as first responders during flood outbreaks in their localities.
Mr. Samuel noted that community engagements and participation in clearing blocked drainages, as well as sensitization, would go a long way in mitigating the envisaged disaster.
Another resource person and First Aid Instructor from Nigerian Red Cross Society, Mr. Frances Dike, enjoined participants to note that the objective of first responders is to save lives, prevent situations from getting worse and promote quick recovery of victims.
A consultant and an expert in flood mitigation, Mr. Chukwudi Onyejekwe, enumerated seven activities that first responders must consider whenever there is an emergency.
These include considering the situation very well, the correct thing to be done, creating a rallying point, considering a safe route, identifying affected persons and review of actions already taken for safety.
The Co-ordinator, Local Emergency Management Committee, Anambra State, Mr. Nnamdi Esimai, commended the state government for the training which, he noted, would go a long way in empowering them to attend responsively to flood disasters and other emergencies in the state.
Some of the highpoints was a demonstration on the First Responder’s Action in evacuating flood victims, presented by a team from the Nigeria Red Cross Society.
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