Nani, Ochonogor Inspect DESOPADEC Flood Prevention Initiative In Mandate Areas

The Chairman, Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC and the Managing Director/CEO, Chief Festus Ochonogor, on Friday July 31, inspected the ongoing intervention on de-silting of canals and drainages in the Commission's mandate areas.

At Oviri-Agbaroh Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area where many houses have been submerged due to the overflowing water from the canal, residents lamented and pleaded for urgent palliative measures to curb the ravaging water.

Addressing the press, the Board Chairman of DESOPADEC, Olorogun Barr. John Obukowho Nani assured the residents that the ongoing intervention was aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the flooding, emphasizing that all measures shall be implemented to alleviate the adverse effects of the flooding.

"We are here to access the level of work done by the swamp buggy clearing the canal. We have seen that the water has overflown and the more worrisome is the narrow culvert at the express Way that has already collapsed due to excessive water. We are going to do as much as we can to ameliorate the plight of the people," he said.

Speaking further, he said that the Commission had embarked on the intervention since the Month of June, trying to be proactive against the NIMET prediction of excess flooding in the Commission's mandate Areas.

"The Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in his wisdom gave us the marching order to intervene immediately, which we started since June. We are working in several communities in the mandate areas and the exercise shall continue. We are not going to abandon our people in time of need," he added.

Earlier, Mrs. Ese Oghenekevwe, a resident in the community whose house was already submerged appealed to the Chairman and MD, DESOPADEC for emergency support to alleviate their plight.

"The flood has already taken over my house, I want to appeal for help in any way so I can manage till the situation is better," she said.

Many houses were overwhelmed by the massive flooding as a result of the overflowing of water at the Oviri-Agbaroh Community canal, crossing the Ughelli - Agbaroh road .

The inspection team also visited the ongoing exercise at the construction site of the new canal at Owhe - Ologbo, Isoko North Local Government Area where the swamp buggy was seen already clearing the water channels for a free flow of water.

The Managing Director/CEO, DESOPADEC, Chief Festus Ochonogor, assured that the ongoing intervention in Owhe-Ologbo canal shall be extended to other parts of Isoko mandate areas in order to have a holistic intervention.

The coordinator of the intervention, Mr Onohworemu Augustine, CCO Glo Environ Associate Ltd in his remark said that many Communities in Isoko have already benefited from the ongoing intervention.

"We have worked in Oleh, Ozoro, Uzere and other communities and we are still doing more," he stated.

The current phase of the intervention is aimed at consolidating on the achievement recorded from the exercise in the month of June, as more rain is expected in the coming months.

By Ejememo Enoch Igho, Joyce Akpalikpo 

×