The Rivers State Government has assured residents of the Rivers State Rehabilitation Centre, Iriebe, affected by recent flooding, of further intervention to alleviate their plight.
Rivers State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, gave the assurance during the committee’s visit to the centre on Monday, October 5, 2026.
Represented by the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, Odu said the delegation, comprising senior government officials, members of the Flood Prevention and Management Committee and the State Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), inspected the situation and provided food items and other palliatives to the affected residents.
She said the concerns and additional needs raised by the residents would be presented to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for necessary action.
“We have seen the situation at the home and have been able to make some presentation of food items and palliatives to them. From what we have heard from them, we will take it back and pass it on to His Excellency for further necessary action,” she said.
Responding on behalf of the Rehabilitation Centre, a former Principal of the Home, Mr Obua Sampson Amobi, blamed poor environmental planning and road construction for turning the facility into a water collection point, resulting in repeated flooding whenever it rains.
Amobi said the construction of canals had diverted water from the surrounding community into the compound, while road construction further obstructed the natural flow of water to the lowland.
He called for the construction of a large drainage system to channel floodwater into the river or the elevation of the affected homes above the flood level.
“This area is flooded. The only way to solve this problem is to construct a big drainage that will transport the water to the river or rebuild our home by elevating it above the sea level,” he stressed.
