Wike sympathises with flood victims in Rivers, promises to tackle menace

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has sympathised with flood victims in parts of Rivers, promising to mobilise Julius Berger Plc to open up blocked canals to check re-occurrence.

A statement issued by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the governor on electronic media, said Wike made the promise on Sunday during on-the-spot inspection of some areas affected by flood.

The statement was made available to newsmen on Monday in Port Harcourt.

It said the governor assured the victims of his administration’s readiness to tackle the challenge.

“This flood is as a result of the heavy rains which could no longer flow freely following blockage of some major canals caused by indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

“I want to assure those affected by this disaster that the government shall partner relevant agencies to remedy the situation,” he said.

Wike advised the residents to stop dumping refuse in water channels, saying such actions lead to disaster.

He said that he would take stringent measures to ensure that the disaster does not re-occur.

The statement said that Mr Sam Ngbor, Liaison Manager of Julius Berger Plc, assured the governor of the company’s readiness to work with the government to ensure that the state was free from flooding.