Four civil society groups have come together to ask the Federal Government do something about the perennial flooding in Anambra state.
They ask that the FG dredge the River Niger as the dredging is the only way to solve the problem and step up measures to mitigate the flood menace in order to protect the families that suffer from the yearly flooding.
They further stated that communities in Ogbaru and Ayamelum Local Government Areas in Anambra North Senatorial zone communities in Ogbaru and Ayamelum Local Government Areas in Anambra North Senatorial zone are the most affected.
The civil groups ask that consideration be given to the academic calendar of the children of affected families and that the government deploy medical doctors and primary health providers to provide healthcare services to victims of flooding in IDP camps across Anambra state.
The groups – Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development (ECID) a United Kingdom, UK- funded project for development; Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC) Onitsha; Hope Givers Initiative, (HOG-I) and Civil Rights Concern (CRC) – was represented by Mr Alphonsus Nwoye, Programme Manager ECID/JDPC.
When addressing newspeople, he expressed regret that floods have continued to sack Anambra communities, especially the Anambra North senatorial zone communities since 2011 because the federal government failed to take proactive measures to address the problem of flooding in the area.
Nwoye alleged that none of the promises made during the flooding of 2012 was kept by the federal government because flooding still keeps sacking residents of the affected communities.
In a press statement, they called on the federal and state governments to summon the political will to implement their respective environmental protection policies in order to save the people from the issues associated with environmental degradation.
The press statement, ‘Agenda-setting on Flood Menace Mitigation in Anambra State Riverine Communities’ was signed by Mr Nwoye for ECID/JDPC Onitsha; Okey Onyeka for CRC and Mrs Onyeka Udegbunam for HOG-I.
It said, “Federal Government should expedite action on total dredging of the River Niger and Anambra State government should commence the dredging of surrounding rivers like Anambra and Ezu rivers in order to deepen water depth and minimize overflowing of river levels during the rainy season.
“There is a need for policy change of the academic calendar for schools in these communities. It has also become very imperative for the deployment of teachers to organize teaching in IDP camps during flooding.
“Deployment of medical doctors in health facilities and Primary Health Care, PHC, staff to deliver health care services in the IDP camps is also very important for flood victims.”
