The Rivers State House of Assembly says it is poised to ensure that Chairmen of the 19 likely flood-prone local government areas get the support they need to proactively mitigate the impact of the flooding should it occur.

Chairman of the State Assembly Committee on Flooding, Linda Stewart said this on Thursday, July 27, 2023 while briefing journalists shortly after an interactive session with LG Council Chairmen and heads of affected ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at the Assembly Complex along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt.

Recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had predicted heavy rainfall and flooding in some states south of Nigeria, Rivers State inclusive.

In a proactive move to ensure the affected LGAs are not caught napping, the State House of Assembly resolved to engage relevant stakeholders, especially, the LGA Chairmen, amongst others to marshall out strategies on how to mitigate the situation.

Stewart, who is also the Deputy Leader of the House and lawmaker representing Okrika Constituency in the Assembly, expressed satisfaction with the preparations made so far by the LGA chairmen, assuring Rivers people that the Assembly will keep the council leaders on their toes to ensure that there is no loss of lives if the pandemic occurs.

Speaking on behalf of the chairmen at the meeting, Chairman of Bonny LGA, Dame Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox explained the level of preparations of her and her colleagues to tackle the impending flood, soliciting the cooperation of the people to fight the scourge in the state.

Chairmen of 12 LGAs, some Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries of relevant ministries, as well as, Chairman of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) attended the interactive meeting.

Recall that NiMET, as part of its annual activities, had on Wednesday, January 25, released its 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), a general climatic and weather forecast advisory during the year and the potential impacts on diverse sectors of the economy.

Though the SCP does not replace the daily and five-day weather forecast by NiMet throughout the year, it gives some heads up to policy planners, the business community, and other stakeholders to assist with their forward looking plans.

The NiMet SCP also impacts other aspects of national life like prospective diseases outbreaks, transport modes, as well as, how the farmers grow crops and keep animals.

It is, therefore, understandable the proactive move by the Asari-Toru LGA Chairman to take deliberate actions to save his people from any untoward consequences of avoidable flooding.