By Chidinma Ajemba
The Anambra State Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Hon. Patrick Agha Mba, has on Sept 23 urged residents to take collective responsibility for preventing flooding as the state experiences heavy rainfall.
Agha Mba said the call became necessary following a flash-flood risk alert issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Anambra among states at risk between Sept. 21 and 30.
The commissioner said the warning underscored the importance of early response, environmental awareness and proactive measures by government, communities and individuals to mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall.
He recalled that Governor Chukwuma Soludo dedicated the state’s 35th anniversary to environmental awareness and action, declaring an emergency on environmental degradation and promoting collective responsibility in addressing environmental challenges.
According to Agha Mba, the state government’s environmental campaign was designed to tackle flooding, erosion, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal and other practices capable of worsening environmental problems across the state.
He further stated that the government had organised emergency environmental sanitation exercises and encouraged regular desilting of drainage channels and waterways as part of measures to reduce flooding risks.
The commissioner noted that local government authorities had also been directed to carry out desilting of waterways and sewage systems, stressing that environmental protection required sustained action and could not be left entirely to government.
Agha Mba therefore appealed to residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels and waterways, warning that such practices obstruct water flow and could worsen flooding during periods of intense rainfall.
He said residents should complement government efforts with responsible environmental practices, adding, “So, before you come here to show me videos, also show me what you did to avert the situation,” as he urged citizens to combine criticism with personal and community action.
Chidinma Ajemba is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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