- Chairman, Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee & Deputy Governor, Prof. (Mrs.) Ngozi Nma Odu (2nd Left), handing over the Relief Materials to the Chairman, Oyigbo Local Government Area, Hon. (Dr.) Okechukwu Akara Nwaogu (Left), during Distribution of the Materials to the Internally Displaced Persons at the Council Secretariat on the 15th Sept. 2026.
The Rivers State Government has commenced the distribution of relief materials to victims of the recent flooding in Oyigbo and Eleme Local Government Areas, as it moves to identify and address the factors contributing to the disaster.
The intervention is being coordinated by the 2026 Flood Prevention and Management Committee, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, who said the government was combining immediate relief with measures to prevent further flooding.
Speaking during the distribution of relief materials at Afam, headquarters of Oyigbo Local Government Area, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Odu said the intervention was part of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration’s commitment to alleviating the hardship caused by the disaster.
She said the committee had been constituted to coordinate intervention efforts across affected communities, adding that teams had been deployed to other affected areas, including Eleme.
Odu identified blocked drainage channels and waterways, particularly those obstructed by structures and refuse, as major causes of flash flooding.
She urged residents to keep their surroundings and drainage channels clear, while calling on them to report illegal structures obstructing waterways to the appropriate authorities.
Chairman, Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee & Deputy Governor, Prof. (Mrs.) Ngozi Nma Odu (Left), interacting with the Internally Displaced Persons during Distribution of Relief Materials at the Oyigbo Local Government Area on the 15th Sept. 2026.
“Flood does not know party,” the Deputy Governor said, stressing that the disaster affects everyone irrespective of political affiliation.
She also commended the Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Council, Hon. Okechukwu Akara Nwaogu, for his efforts in managing the situation, particularly his decision to relocate the Internally Displaced Persons’ camp from a flooded school to the council headquarters.
Nwaogu, who expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for responding promptly to the needs of affected residents, said the council had established the camp to accommodate those displaced by the flooding.
He explained that the facility previously used during past flooding incidents had itself been overtaken by floodwaters, necessitating the relocation.
In Eleme, the state government assured residents that their losses arising from the recent flooding had not gone unnoticed, saying experts had been assigned to study the area’s flooding patterns and recommend appropriate measures.
The assurance was conveyed by Odu during the presentation of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons in the local government area.
Speaking through the Head of Service, Dr. Inyingi S. I. Brown, the Deputy Governor said Governor Fubara sympathised with the affected communities and that their challenges were being carefully studied with a view to finding lasting solutions.
She disclosed that experts from the Flood and Erosion Department of the Ministry of Environment had been assigned to work with the local government authority to study the area’s flooding patterns and determine appropriate measures to address the problem.
The relief materials were subsequently presented to the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council, Hon. Obarilormate Ollor, who was represented by his Vice Chairman, Hon. Virtue Ekee.
Receiving the items, Ekee thanked the governor for considering the plight of flood victims and providing relief to affected residents.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, His Royal Highness, Eze Nwankwo Nnankwo, and Mr. Bennett Paago expressed appreciation to the state government and members of the Flood Prevention and Management Committee for their prompt response.
The government’s intervention, which includes relief distribution, drainage maintenance, enforcement against obstructions and technical assessment of flood-prone areas, is aimed at reducing the impact of future flooding while providing immediate support to affected residents.