Rivers Govt, Residents Trade Blames Over Flooding

The Rivers State government and residents of the state are trading blamed over the cause of the recent flooding in parts of the state, especially, communities within Port Harcourt metropolis.

The state government had blamed human activities, including indiscriminate dumping of debris in canals and the conversion of wetlands to residential areas for the flooding incidents witnessed in parts of the state, but residents accused the state government of being the cause of the flood.

The residents insisted that the state government, through the Port Harcourt Water Corporation (PHWC) and others agencies were responsible for the disaster through their activities in the communities.

A resident of Eneka, one of the flooded communities in Obio/Akpor local government of the state, Chidi Williams, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the community had not experienced flooding in the past 25 years.

“I have lived within this Eneka community for the past 25 years, we have never experienced flood. This is the first time we are seeing this. We strongly believe that it is due to the activities of the Port Harcourt Water Corporation that has been digging holes and covering water channels here,” Williams said.

Also speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend, a resident of Elelenwo community, also the in Obio/Akpor LGA, Tonye Goodman, attributed the flood to the ongoing construction of the Port Harcourt ring road, awarded by the state government.

Goodman stated that due the construction of the link road and other roads within the community, drainages and canals were blocked leading to the flooding.

But, defending the state government, the permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, Gune Gudik-Wisak, blamed human activities including the dumping of debris on the canals for the recent flooding in parts of the state.

Gudik-Wisak revealed that debris had blocked the canals and restricted free- flow of water, while some wetlands have also been converted to residential area.

“His Excellency, the executive governor of Rivers State delegated us to see what has happened between the community and the Port Harcourt Water Corporation and we have seen what has happened.

“We have found out that human factor is responsible for the problem we witnessed here today. Human beings have decided to throw debris into the canal blocking the water passage and this is unacceptable.

“We have also noticed that wetland has been converted into residential areas leaving water to take over spaces and now we are hearing complaints and we thank God that the governor was magnanimous enough to say he said send engineers to see what has actually happened.

“We need to sensitise the people on the need to allow wetland to be wet and the need for people to desist from throwing debris into the  canals and waterways. In the meantime the production and water quality manager of the Port Harcourt Water Corporation,” she said.