By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
No few than 11 local government areas in the riverine areas of Cross River State are to be hit by the impact of flood water as a result of the opening of Lagdo Dam in the Northern area of Cameroon Republic.
The Director General, DG, of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Angela Ogeyi Odey, stated this yesterday in an interactive interaction with our correspondent in Calabar.
The DG, who spoke on the impact of the flood water which would hit communities in the affected 11 local government areas of the state states that the state is prepared for the impact of the water once the flood gate of the Lagdo Dam is opened by Cameroon.
Odey asked residents of communities that would be affected by the flood not to panic as government is doing everything humanly possible to cushion the effect of the flood.
She enumerated the 11 local government areas to be affected to include, Calabar Municipality, Ikom, Ogoja, Yakurr, Yala, Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Etung, Odukpani, Obubra and Biase.
Ogeyi said that the report from the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and another report from Foreign Affairs Ministry, alerted of an impending flood in Cross River State as a result of opening of the flood gate by the Cameroonians.
The SEMA DG said, “For flood, we are fully prepared in Cross River State. We are preparing our manpower, training our men on how to evacuate people.
“We are getting the relief material ready, flying boats to evacuate people.
“We have been talking to town criers to spread the news.
“We are talking to the youths, we are making sure that all hands must be on deck to help our people. We will not abandoned them.
“After evacuation, we are making plans to keep them. We have hostels, schools and other places to keep them till October.”
