By CHARLES IWUOHA

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has tasked individuals, local government areas (LGAs) and state governments on opening up of all drainages and waterways around their areas.

The South-East Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Tickman Tanimo, gave the task on Sunday in Enugu while speaking with newsmen.

Tanimo spoke on the sidelines of the 2022 Flood Prediction of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

He noted that opening up the drainages and waterways would drastically mitigate any possible flooding within the length and breadth of the country, especially the South-East.

He urged governments at all levels to engage in proper waste bagging and evacuation in neighbourhoods, while ensuring that waste collection points are regularly evacuated on time.

According to him, the residents of the South-East should collectively check some people around them that are in the bad attitude of dumping refuse in drains especially when it rains.

“Government or NEMA cannot do it alone; we need individuals, neighbourhoods, communities, council areas and states to play their own part.

“Individuals especially farmers following this year’s prediction, are to do early planting as well as early harvesting of their crops.

“Individuals should open up drainage in their homes.

“At the neighbourhood and community levels, people of a given neighbourhood or community should help to open up all drainage or even waterways in their neighbourhoods or communities.

“The council area and state governments should also open up bigger secondary water drains and waterways leading outside the city or a given area or council area.

“All negative attitudes of blocking drainages and waterways with refuse or structures should be dealt with immediately in the collective interest of the vast majority of the residents of the area or council area,” he said.

The coordinator said that the Agency would soon write officially to State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and other stakeholders within the South-East states on precaution the state government and people needed to take.

“By next week, we will commence flood sensitisation as well as one-on-one meetings with partnering agencies and stakeholders to ensure that everybody is aware and ready.

“The sensitisation will afford all stakeholders concerned to be proactive and take necessary precaution to reduce any unforeseen circumstances arising from flood,” he added.

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