The Rivers State Government has assured flood victims in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas that it will not abandon them, as it distributes relief materials and provides free healthcare services to cushion the effects of flooding.
Media aide to the deputy Governor, Owupele Benebo made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
According to him, the deputy Governor and Chairman of the 2026 Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, gave the assurance during the distribution of relief materials in Omoku, ONELGA headquarters, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Odu said the intervention, approved by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, included food and non-food items, as well as free medical services through the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP).
She explained that beneficiaries would access healthcare at designated centres, while cases requiring specialised treatment would be referred to higher-level hospitals at no cost. She added that the health insurance component would continue beyond the flood season.
The Deputy Governor said the intervention would cover Omoku, Egbema, Usomini and Iburu, while assistance had also been sent to affected communities in the Ndoni axis.
In Abua/Odual, Odu, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Fortune Akpila, conveyed Governor Fubara’s sympathy to affected residents and directed that the relief materials be distributed strictly to genuine victims.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Worgu Wachukwu, urged residents to enrol in RIVCHPP to access free healthcare services, particularly for health challenges arising from the flooding.
The Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Agala, said the flooding had destroyed homes, farmlands and livelihoods, leaving many residents vulnerable to hunger and health challenges.
The Vice Chairman of ONELGA, Hon. Happiness Wokocha, and the Oba (Eze-Ogba) of Ogbaland, represented by HRH Eze Louis Chukwudi Ajie, commended the state government for the intervention.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Abua/Odual LGA, Hon. Wilson Ilami Maxie, thanked the governor and deputy governor for the assistance and pledged that the materials would be distributed only to persons directly affected by the flooding.
The relief materials were formally handed over to Maxie by Dr. Akpila on behalf of the Deputy Governor.
