As citizens and stakeholders express fears that the coastal areas of the Orashi region in Rivers State may be completely submerged if urgent actions are not taken, the Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District at the Senate, Senator (Mrs.) Betty Akagua-Apiafi has raised a motion at the upper legislative chambers, also calling for urgent action from the Federal Government.
In the motion which she titled, “Urgent Need to Address the Devastating Flood in Rivers West Senatorial District”, Senator Apiafi cried out that the flood has left her people displaced and devastated.
She added that several communities in Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas have been completely submerged, adding that the reoccurring flood has left residents and indigenes of the affected communities without any source of livelihood.
The Senator called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to take swift action in providing IDP Camps and relief materials to the flooded communities in the affected four local government areas.
Apiafi, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs as well as Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Tertiary and Secondary, wrote in the motion addressed to the Senate: “The Senate Committees on Special Duties, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation should be mandated to follow up the NEMA and other relevant agencies and report progress in three weeks.
“The Senate (should) make special provision in the 2023 budget to begin the process of addressing the issue of perennial flood across the Nation”.
Senator Apiafi has also raised a motion titled, “Need to Rehabilitate/Reconstruct the Emohua-Kalabari Road”, decrying the poor state of the road which she noted, is causing civil unrest amongst residents and commuters due to incessant kidnappings on the express way, putting the safety of the lives and properties of the people in jeopardy.
The Senator said she was saddened by an incident which happened on Saturday, October 8, 2022 when gunmen hijacked a commercial bus heading to Akuku-Toru Local Government and kidnapped the driver and eight passengers.
Among other resolutions, she urged the Inspector-General of Police to assign police patrol teams and tactical units on the road pending the repairs and also ensure all kidnapped victims are released.
She further urged the Federal Ministry of Works and FERMA to ensure prompt rehabilitation of the Emohua-Kalabari Road.
