CALABAR – Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River, on Monday visited flood and landslide-ravaged communities in Calabar, including the family of a toddler killed by floodwaters.
Reports that the governor inspected the affected areas alongside the Director-General, Cross River Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), Mr Efa Nyong.
Reports that others on the entourage of the governor were government officials, engineers, the Nigerian Red Cross Society and other emergency response stakeholders.
The areas visited include Elijah Henshaw Street, Webber Street, Atu Street, Ibesikpo Street, Mayne Avenue by Atakpa among others in the Calabar Municipality and Calabar South area councils.
Otu who met residents and businesses owners in the devastated areas leveraged on the opportunity to console the family that lost their child through the flood.
Expressing sympathy, he assured the residents that his administration would not abandon residents during difficult periods.
The governor commended CR-SEMA on prompt response, saying the agency’s timely assessments had guided government’s emergency decisions.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and properties, stressing that residents’ welfare remained central to his ”People’s First” agenda.
He assured that the evacuation of displaced residents from affected communities would commence immediately as part of government’s immediate response measures.
“There will also be comprehensive assessments of all affected locations to ensure relief materials reach genuinely impacted victims without delay,” Otu announced.
Earlier, the director general CR-SEMA, Nyong, said that the agency had maintained continuous presence in affected communities conducting assessments, following the flood and landslide incidents across the state.
He said that the agency was collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, security agencies and relevant ministries to document losses and identify victims’ immediate needs.
Nyong assured residents that CR-SEMA would sustain emergency response while intensifying public sensitisation on flood preparedness and disaster risk reduction.
It will be recalled that Calabar metropolis in the last four days had witnessed torrential rainfall that had led to the flooding of parts of the city and destruction of properties.(NAN)
