The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), distributed Federal Government approved relief materials to persons and communities affected by recent rainstorm and flood disasters in Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II in Rivers State.
The exercise which took place on Sunday, August 24, at Amadi Opara Okokwu Town Hall, was carried out by NEMA Port Harcourt Operations Office and supervised by the Head of Operations, Mr. Eric Ebhodaghe. Speaking at the event, Mr. Ebhodaghe conveyed the sympathy of the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar on those affected and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the materials provided as they are meant to cushion the impact of the disaster on their lives and livelihoods.
The Member representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II, who was present at the event, Hon. Barr. Blessing Chigeru Amadi, expressed gratitude to the NEMA Director General for the swift and timely intervention, noting that the assistance would go a long way in alleviating the hardships of her constituents who were badly affected by the rainstorm and flood incidents.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Hajiah Okiri Amina Larai, Elder Allaga Amadi, and Mrs. Susan Dike expressed their appreciation and pledged to ensure that the relief items are used for the benefit of the affected households. The approved relief items were mainly food materials and distributed to the affected persons in Elekahia, Ogbunabali, Woji, Ogali, Nchia, and Akpajo communities.
Also Read: Rivers State Government Urges Residents to Prepare for Flood Risks
The distribution exercise was conducted smoothly with the active participation of community leaders, stakeholders, and beneficiaries. Group photographs were taken to mark the successful conclusion of the exercise. Recall that President Tinubu had approved 15 billion Naira for NEMA to prepare for the flooding season, a proactive measure geared towards mitigating flood impacts as announced by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Following devastating floods in Mokwa, Niger State, in May 2025, the President had directed NEMA to activate the National Emergency Response Centre and mobilize federal agencies for urgent assistance. This included deploying relief materials, food, medical supplies, and temporary shelters, while coordinating with security agencies to support rescue and relief efforts.
In March last year, President Bola Tinubu had appointed the first woman in this role to be the Director General of NEMA. Mrs. Zubaida Umar appointment had a strict mandate to instill financial and operational discipline, enhance performance, and focus on prevention and climate change readiness especially in disaster management.
