A former Special Adviser to Imo State Governor on Orientation, Chief Dr Fidel Onyeneke has admonished the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to live up to their professional responsibilities.
He urged the agencies to ensure that rural dwellers were appropriately guided on the precautionary measures to take against the dangers of flooding.
He gave the advice in Owerri on Sunday while reacting to the heavy rainfall being witnessed in different parts of the country, including Imo State.
Onyeneke stressed that the people should be proactive by removing refuse and other materials that block the waterways.
He observed with dismay that rather than making early arrangements to check impending flood disaster, most residents display non-challant attitude.
The former Special Adviser appealed to the State and Local governments,to assist the vulnerable communities with appropriate machinery and manpower to work towards preventing the impending flood problems.
Onyeneke also suggested that make-shift camps should be established in the riverine areas as a matter of emergency to minimize the suffering of the persons who may be displaced by floods.
He urged government agencies and Non-governmental Organizations to embark on intensive public engagement and advocacy with a view to educating the masses on how to protect the environment and farmland against destruction by flooding.