The Cross River Government says it is already taking measures to mitigate the impact of flooding predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NiMet warned on Tuesday, in its yearly prediction, that 31 states and 184 Local Government Areas will experience flooding that could span from April to November.
The Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said there was a need for preparedness, early warning systems, and community engagements to minimise damage to lives and property.
He said the flood would have potential impacts on the population, agriculture, livelihoods, livestock, infrastructure, and the environment.
Cross River Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, said the state, being in a coastal area, had already envisaged this and was making the right preparations for it.
He said part of the measures was to desilt drainage systems in Calabar metropolis and also in flood-prone areas.
In addition, he said the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) was currently sensitising the people in the flood probe areas of the state to the need to move to higher ground when the need arises.
“We have always had floods, and as a responsible governor like the one we have now, we have started working on this before the prediction by NiMet.
“Presently, we are doing a lot of desilting across Calabar metropolis and also doing a lot of sensitisation on flooding across the state.
“With SEMA there, we are doing a lot, especially when there is nothing we can do to completely stop the flooding,” he stated. (NAN)
