Rivers urges strict monitoring of NEMA relief materials for flood victims.

The Rivers State Government has called for strict monitoring of relief materials distributed to flood-affected communities to ensure they reach genuine victims of the disaster.

The State Head of Service, Dr Inyingi Brown, made the call on behalf of the Deputy Governor and Chairperson of the State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Professor Ngozi Odu, during the handover and flag-off of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) relief materials in Port Harcourt.

The exercise was held at the NEMA Operations Office in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, as the agency began providing relief materials to communities affected by flooding in the state.

Dr Brown stressed the need for proper monitoring of the distribution process, saying the intervention should benefit residents who have been directly affected by the floods.

She commended NEMA for its intervention and cooperation with the Rivers State Government in efforts to reduce the hardship being experienced by flood-impacted communities.

The Head of Service also called for greater collaboration between the state government and NEMA, particularly in responding to the needs of communities affected by flooding.

She thanked the Director-General of NEMA for remembering Rivers State at what she described as a critical time for residents affected by the disaster.

NEMA explains distribution process

The Coordinator of NEMA for Rivers and Bayelsa States, Dr Chidi Ogundu, explained that the agency decided to notify the Rivers State Government about the arrival of the relief materials from the Federal Government before commencing their distribution.

Ogundu said the decision was to ensure that the state authorities were aware of the intervention before the materials were taken to the affected local government areas.

He said the relief items would subsequently be distributed to flood-affected communities as part of the Federal Government’s response to the impact of flooding in the state.

The intervention comes as communities across Rivers State continue to contend with the effects of flooding during the rainy season.

The state government, through its Flood Prevention and Management Committee, has also been coordinating interventions for affected residents, including the distribution of relief materials and visits to temporary shelters.

The latest intervention by NEMA is expected to provide additional support to residents who have lost property, been displaced from their homes, or suffered other effects of flooding.