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The Anambra State government says it has made adequate preparations towards ensuring that flood disaster is contained if it eventually occurs this year as predicted.
The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA Chief Paul Odenigbo stated this during a training for Local Emergency Management Committees , and some health workers in all the ten flood prone local government areas of the state held at Anambra East headquarters, Otuocha.
Represented by an administrative officer in the agency, Mrs Rita Omega ,the SEMA Executive Secretary said the training was part of the preparations in view of the predictions made by all the relevant government agencies that there will be flood in about thirty two states of the country including Anambra.
Chief Odenigbo who noted that the agency had carried out sensitization in all the riverine areas , urged the people to be prepared to relocate to higher grounds whenever they are called to do so as adequate arrangements had been made for holding Camps for them.
The Representative of the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Enugu Zone, Mr Kennedy Eke urged the local Emergency Management Committees 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.
In a remark, the Transition committee Chairman , Anambra East local government area, Doctor Anselem Onuorah said they were making adequate arrangements to ensure that lapses observed during the last year flood incident are corrected especially in the area of hygiene and medical cares to the victims in camp.
According to him, the local government had cocluded 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 , in Anambra state state , Mr Hezekiah Samuel said the essence of the training was to equip the LEMC with the relevant knowledge they needed in other to be able to act as first responders during flood outbreaks in their localities.
Mr Samuel noted that Community engagement and participation in the clearing of blocked drainage channels as well as sensitization will no doubt go a long way in mitigating the envisaged disaster.
Another resource person and First Aid Instructor from the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Comrade Diken Frances , called on the participants to note that the objective of first responders is to save lives, prevent situations from getting worse and promoting quick recovery of victims.
A consultant and expert in flood mitigation, Mr Chukwudi Onyejekwe enumarated seven activities that first responders must consider whenever there is an emergency situation to include considering the situation very well, what is the correct thing to be , creating a rallying point, considering a safe route , identifying affected persons and review of actions already taken for safety .
The Coordinator , Local Emergency Management Committees in Anambra state , Comrade Nnamdi Esimai commended the administration of Professor Chukwuma Soludo for the training which he said will go a long way to empower them to attend responsively to flood disasters and other emergency situations in the state.
Two other participants Uchenna Onuama from Achalla, Awka North and Mr Anthony Omazu from Otuocha, Anambra East local Government area while recounting their experiences during the 2022 flood incidents in the state, identified early preparations and putting the holding centres ready on time as a right step aimed at mitigating the impact of the natural disaster if it eventually occurs.
Highpoint of the Training was a demonstration of First Responders Action while trying to evacuate flood victims, which was presented by a team from the Nigeria Red Cross Society.