The Rivers State Government has frowned at the indiscriminate blockage of waterways by residents, which has led to the persistent challenge of flooding in the state.
Rivers State Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu expressed this displeasure during a Media Chat at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday, 30th October, 2025.
According to the deputy governor, “the problem we have is that the canals have been blocked totally, people have built on the canals and blocked the waterways. The flood committee cannot go and uproot the houses.. The least we can do is to see how we can open the drains”. The Deputy Governor quipped.
She insisted that the attitude of dumping refuse into drains during rainfall also contributes to flash flooding and called on the people to support Government’s efforts to tackle flooding, which, according to her is everybody’s business.
Prof Odu, while insisting that the Rivers State Government remains fully committed to reducing the impact of flooding on our communities, debunked insinuations that flood has ravaged communities in the state.
The Deputy Governor, who highlighted the efforts of the Governor Fubara led administration at mitigating the flood scourge, said the committee would commence the distribution of relief materials to the flood prone Local Government Areas next week.
“From next week we will be sending things to the flood prone Local Government Areas to mitigate their pains, we are doing this because sometimes people go to the media and say flood is ravaging the State, that word is too hard, they will take one or two pictures of flooded areas and say what is the Committee doing? We are taking mitigating actions, flood prevention, and control is a tripartite approach, which involves the Federal Government, the State Government, and the Local Government,” the deputy governor further stressed.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has commended the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder for partnering with the State Government in the quest to mitigate the Flood scourge.
Rivers State Deputy Governor Prof Ngozi Nma Odu made this commendation during a visit to the Commander of NNS Pathfinder Commodore Cajethan Aniaku at the Naval Base in Rumuolumeni in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, 30th October, 2025.
Prof. Odu expressed gratitude to the Officers and Men of NNS Pathfinder for partnering with the State Government and the Flood Committee in terms of ensuring the security of the relief items and for ensuring that they are preserved in a way that it would not be ruined or destroyed.
“If you did not provide a warehouse at that time, it could have been very difficult for us to find where to put the volume of these items that were procured”. Prof Odu stressed.
She thanked the Commander for the warm reception accorded to her.
The Commander NNS Pathfinder Commodore Cajethan Aniaku had earlier conducted the Deputy Governor around the warehouse, where she inspected the relief items.
