The Rivers State Government has extended its flood relief intervention to residents of Eneka in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, providing ₦200,000 cash support to affected households and enrolling victims in the State’s health insurance scheme for one year of free healthcare.
The intervention was disclosed by the Rivers State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, in a statement signed by the Head of Press, Office of the Deputy Governor, Owupele Benebo.
Odu, who spoke through the Head of Service of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. Mrs. Inyingi Brown, said the intervention was carried out on the directive of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
She spoke on Thursday, October 8, 2026, during the distribution of the ₦200,000 stipends to flood-affected residents of Eneka at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor explained that the State Government had adopted a three-pronged approach to cushion the impact of the flooding on affected residents.
According to her, the first phase involved the distribution of relief materials to affected communities, while the second focused on enrolling flood victims in the Rivers State Health Insurance Scheme, giving beneficiaries access to free healthcare for one year.
She said the payment of the ₦200,000 stipend constituted the third phase of the intervention, noting that although the financial assistance could not replace what residents had lost, it was intended to cushion the economic hardship caused by the disaster.
“While the financial assistance cannot replace what you have lost, it is intended to cushion the economic hardship caused by the disaster,” Odu said.
She urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the healthcare coverage and assured them that they would be directed to designated health facilities where they could access medical treatment.
Odu also said the government was addressing some of the environmental factors responsible for the flooding, adding that officials of the Ministry of Environment were working to identify and clear blockages in waterways and drainage channels to facilitate the free flow of floodwaters.
She further disclosed that the government was pursuing long-term measures to tackle recurring flooding, expressing optimism that the current experience would not be repeated.
The Deputy Governor assured affected residents that the state government remained committed to finding lasting solutions to the challenges confronting flood-affected communities.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chief Echebiri Wobidi appealed to the State Government to urgently rehabilitate and open up drainage channels in Eneka to address the recurring flooding.
He commended Prof. Odu for leading the State’s flood intervention efforts and for visiting affected communities to assess the situation.
The wife of the Traditional Ruler of Eneka, Queen Blessing Woko, also expressed appreciation to the State Government for its intervention, describing it as an indication that flood victims had not been forgotten.
Similarly, the Youth Leader in Eneka, Mr. Gift Opurum, commended the State Government for the intervention and called for a permanent solution to the recurring flooding in the community.
