NUJ Seeks Support for Flood Victims in Delta

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Warri Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) yesterday appealed to the Delta State Government to urgently come to the aid of flood victims in Warri metropolis and environs on the wake of the heavy downpour that ravaged several communities in the State earlier in the week.

In the same vein, the media practitioners advised residents in flood prone areas to heed the earlier warnings from different relevant Federal Government agencies, notably the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) on flood.

The NUJ, in a communique issued at the end of its congress and signed by Okies Veeky and Dele Fasan, the Chapel’s Chairman and Secretary respectively, noted that the appeal became necessary because of what residents of the affected areas are going through.

The union urged the state government to immediately intervene by coming to the rescue of the flood victims, particularly those living at flood prone areas, by possibly evacuating them to safer locations, for the fear of more heavy rains that are likely to be witnessed. before the end of the year.

While reiterating the urgency of the need for government to wade in, the Chapel noted with concern the losses reportedly suffered by many residents whose houses and business premises were submerged by flood on the heels of the three days consecutive heavy torrential downpour.

The journalists, however, enjoined residents across the state to clean their drainages and desist from emptying garbages into drains to avoid blockages.

Also, the union renewed its call on the State Government to accord priority attention to the rehabilitation of all failed roads and drainages within Warri metropolis and environs noting that this would go a long way in mitigating the problems arising from flood in Delta communities.

Specifically, the Union tasked the management of Warri, Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency (WUEDA) to rise up to its responsibilities by positively impacting on the mandate communities.