The Government of Delta State has urged its citizens living in flood-prone areas to urgently relocate to safer areas as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned that the level of water, especially in River Niger is rising.

The decision for Deltans in the flood-prone areas to urgently relocate was made known to journalists on Tuesday (August 9, 2019) by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, shortly after the maiden State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting in the second term of Governor Okowa’s administration.

He said: “Today, we had the inaugural EXCO meeting; a lot of far reaching decisions were taken and we resolved that we enlighten our members about the warning by NEMA that flood is rising and our people who are living in flood-prone areas should as a matter of urgency, relocate to safer areas.

“Our Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, presided at the EXCO meeting and the issue of safety of our people in riverine communities was seriously discussed; measures are being put in place to ensure that the flood situation is properly managed; recall that our Governor was very proactive in managing the flood situations in the previous years and we are calling on our people to start relocating now.”

The Commissioner for Works, Chief James Auguye, in his contributions disclosed that the EXCO also approved the construction of two more storm drainages to channel water “from Okotomi axis in Okpanam to terminate at Iyi Okwu stream and another from the Specialist Hospital to drain into the storm drainage on Ralph Uwechue Street.”

•Photo by Bripin Enarusai shows, from left: Delta State Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, his Information colleague, Mr Charles Aniagwu, and Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Olisa Ifejika, during the inaugural post-EXCO meeting in Asaba.