The Rivers State Government has handed over relief materials to Degema and Tai Local Government Areas for distribution to residents affected by the recent flooding in the two LGAs.
The Rivers State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, stated this on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during the presentation of the items to the Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Hon. Michael John Williams, and his Tai counterpart, Dr. Mbakpone Friday Okpe, at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder Operational Base, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.
Represented by the State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, and the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Honour Sirawoo, Prof. Odu said the intervention was part of the State Government’s efforts, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to mitigate the impact of flooding on affected communities while pursuing sustainable solutions to the problem.
She acknowledged the hardship caused by the flooding, noting that although the Government could not immediately eliminate the suffering of affected residents, it remained committed to easing their difficulties through relief interventions.
The Deputy Governor explained that the relief materials were intended to support the most vulnerable victims, stressing that Community Chiefs, Traditional Rulers, Community Development Committee (CDC) members and Local Government Chairmen had important roles to play in identifying those most affected.
She urged the Degema and Tai Council Chairmen to ensure that the items reached the intended beneficiaries without political considerations.
“Flooding does not know politics; it is only the people who are affected. Please ensure that these materials get to those who are expected to benefit from them,” she stressed.
She reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to supporting flood-affected communities and called on stakeholders to ensure that the relief materials were distributed fairly and transparently.
The distribution forms part of the Rivers State Government’s broader response to the recent flooding, aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by affected residents across the State.
In his response, the Chairman of Degema Local Government Council, Hon. Michael John Williams, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Pastor Ipalibo Yellowe, assured the State Government that the relief materials donated to flood victims in the area would be distributed transparently to ensure they reached those affected.
The council chairman described this year’s flooding as particularly severe, noting that the intervention would provide relief and put smiles on the faces of the victims.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Dr. Mbakpone Friday Okpe, who was represented by his Supervisor for Environment and Chairman of the Flood Management Committee, Hon. Kalabe Kinsman, said the flood disaster had caused significant hardship in the area, claiming two lives and displacing several residents from their homes.
According to him, the relief materials would provide some comfort to affected residents and reassure them that the Government had not abandoned them in their time of need.
He expressed gratitude to Governor Fubara for the gesture, assuring the State Government that the materials would reach the affected residents.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Emeni Ibe JP AP, the President General Orashi National Congress, ONC, commended the state government and also called for more funding and interventions