Date Published: 09/13/11

NEMA commends A'Ibom govt for providing standard drains

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director-General Muhammad Sani-Sidi has commended the Akwa Ibom Government for providing standard drains and enforcing town planning regulations.

The director-general told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Uyo that the state government had invested heavily in providing some of the best drainage systems in the country.

He said that with such investment it would be difficult for the state to experience flooding in spite of its location on a coastal line.

``Akwa Ibom is on a coastal line but the state has one of the best drainage systems in the country. They have channelled the drains to a central drainage system.

``It is important for other states to emulate the work done in Akwa Ibom, as it will help in managing the flood problem we are experiencing in some parts of the country.''

On NEMA's response to communities displaced by ocean surge, Sani-Sidi said the agency was collaborating with the state government to provide shelter for the affected victims.

He described the recent flood in Ibadan as the most devastating in the country since 1981.

The director-general attributed the causes of flooding in the country to the absence of proper town planning, indiscriminate dumping of refuse in water channels as well as non-implementation of development and building plans, especially in flood prone areas.

He appealed to the various levels of government nationwide to muster the political will to relocate communities living in flood prone areas to save lives.

(NAN)