The Edo State Government said it has released over N300 million relief materials to support flood victims in the state.
The State Commissioner for Public Safety and Security, Kingsley Uwagbale disclosed this during a press briefing in Benin City on Wednesday.
“The State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has spoken with local government chairmen in terms of relief materials and he has released over N300 million as of today beyond what has been released as an emergency fund to ensure there are no issues at all.
“He has given us the mandate to ensure the safety of Edo State citizens prone to flooding in the State as we should inform him if any things are needed.
“We are in control of the situation. There is funding, relief materials, and people will move into these camps until the rain subsides.
“We have been sensitizing the people in the last three, four, five months since we heard flood is coming and people have made the move already.
“However, there are some people who can’t move and they are exposed but we are appealing to them to move to safer ground which is the camps we are providing.
“We have the capacity to set up emergency camps for at least two or three weeks that can take people in until the flood subsides and they can go back to their homes,” he said.
Uwagbale, however, appealed to residents in the affected local government areas to move to safer areas prepared to ensure their safety.
According to him, residents in flood-prone areas should move to higher ground and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps set up by the government across the state to avert casualties from flooding.
“The governor has also asked us to warn the people about the flooding as the flood is here now. He urged the people in the exposed regions in the State, including Etsako East, Etsako Central, Esan South East, Ubiaja, and Illushi areas.
“There will be flooding in these areas and the people living in these areas are warned to relocate to IDP camps already prepared for them.
“We have statutory camps which have already been built initially to absorb those ready to move. We have the capacity to set up our camps as we are building a new camp in Ubiaja. We have two in Agenebode and the massive one that is a camp and a warehouse at Ogumere,” he added.
According to the commissioner, the governor has charged the various local government councils to ensure that people vacate the affected areas.
He posited that the residents have been mobilized to start the process, noting that a local emergency committee has already be set up for the purpose.
Uwagbale added that other emergency response teams like NEMA, SEMA, Red Cross, Police and other stakeholders have been mobilized.
