…. Cosmas Iwu praises him as 135 responders from 27 LGs are inaugurated

By Blessing Chukwudi

The Igbo adage that a scheduled war doesn’t consume a cripple played out in Imo State recently when the state government inaugurated 135 responders to be prepared to combat flood and other natural disasters in the state. Although Imo is not one of the high risk areas listed by the National meteorological agency for being prone to heavy flooding, the governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma who always thinks ahead thought it wise to act swiftly and proactively. He directed the Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Chief Cosmas Iwu whose office oversees the State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA) to coordinate and set up local Emergency Management Agency in all the 27 local government areas of the state.

Before the advent of the Hope Uzodimma administration, parts of the state capital, Owerri, were always submerged in flood water whenever it rains heavily. In fact, property owners around Chukwuma Nwoha Road, Ihechiowa Road, Dick Tiger Road up to Relief Market Road had abandoned their property to flood. But Uzodimma came with the magic wand. Employing balloon driven technology, he was able to check the menace to the joy of residents of those areas.

That perhaps accounted for why he gave the marching orders to the SGI,Iwu to ensure that Imo was always prepared right from the wards and local governments to the state to tackle any natural disaster that rears its head. That gave birth to a TWO DAY CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP for members of the local government committees members.

Each of the 27 local governments produced five responders, making it a total of 135 members. They were trained on how to effectively manage flood and other natural disasters immediately they occur before the SEMA arrives from Owerri. This was a critical aspect of the measures outlined by Gov Hope Uzodimma to mitigate the impact of flood and other natural disasters on Imo citizens. The theme of the two day workshop ” FLOOD WARNING PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN IMO STATE ” spoke volumes about the intentionality of Uzodimma over the issue

Therefore, when the workshop kicked off on Thursday, September 18th, nobody was left in doubt about the seriousness that Uzodimma attached to it. Although the Governor was not physically present having gone to Abuja to attend the National Economic Council Meeting, he was ably represented by the Secretary to the Government of Imo State.

Inaugurating the Committee and declaring the 2 days training workshop open in Owerri, Governor Hope Uzodimma who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of lmo state, Chief Cosmas Iwu, said that the essence of the Constitution and inauguration of the Local Emergency Management Committee was to mitigate the impact of flood , other disasters and to decentralise disaster management in the state. He said that the two days training workshop been organised by the State Emergency Management Agency is to equip the members of the Local Emergency Management Committee with the requisite knowledge and skills on disaster management, as early responders in their respective local government areas.
According to him, one of the duties of the Local Emergency Management Committee members as early responders is to identify and report early occurance of any form of disaster to the appropriate quarters through their respective local government Chairmen, who will in turn report to the State Emergency Management Agency for prompt response.

The Governor who described the workshop as “train the trainers workshop “, charged the LEMC members to utilise the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills on disasters management, in order to train others at their respective local government areas and further charged local government Chairmen to drive the local Emergency Management Committee by replicating the training at their respective local government areas in order to effectively mitigate the impact of flood in the state.

The number one citizen of the state who also commended the organisers for assembling professionals on Disaster Management and Environmental management Sciences as resource persons to drill the LEMC members, further disclosed that his administration constructed storm warm drainage system with balloon technology along Egbu Federal Housing Estate by Chukwuma Nwoha and Dick Tiger roads, which conveys storm water away from residential areas, that used to be submerged by flood before he came on board as the Governor. He therefore called on Imo citizens to desist from building on water ways and dumping of refuse into the drainage systems.

In his remarks, the South -East Zonal Director of National Emergency Management Agency, Mr Ibarakumo B. Wilson commended lmo state Government for been the first state to constitute and inaugurate the Local Emergency Management Committee . Mr Ibarakumo further said that the bold step taken by Governor Uzodimma by inaugurating the Committee has demonstrated his administration’s commitment in developing resilient building measures to mitigate the occurance and impact of flood in the state .

Contributing, the lmo State ALGON Chairman Engr.Ikenna Adikibe on behalf of the Council Chairmen assured the state government that they would take the initiative very serious at the local government level.

The 2 days training workshop which commenced on Thursday 18th September and ended on Friday 19th September, 2025, featured lectures on ” The Role of LEMC on Principles & Concepts of Disaster Risk Management “, delivered by Sir Dr Colman Chikwem of the Department of Disaster Management Centre, University of Abuja; Flood preparedness measures at the local Government Area level: Training and Simulation Exercises ” delivered by Mr Kenoma Ojuderia of the Training & Human Resources Department, NEMA, Headquarters Abuja.

Others were” Soil Conservation: A way to prevent flooding in flood prone Areas ” by Mr Durumbah Obi F Martins of tge Department of Environmental Management Sciences, Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Oforola Owerri; “Flood Control and Management” by Dr Mrs Caroline Amadi of the Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology Owerri and ” Environmental Hazards, Erosion control in Urban and rural areas through reforestation and proper drainage systems ” by Mr Chukwuma Nwachukwu , Permanent Secretary; Ministry of Environment, Imo State.

Highlights of the 2 days event were demonstration by the Personnel of the Federal Fire Service on the use of some disaster management equipment, presentation of disaster management equipments procured by SEMA by the Secretary to the Government of lmo state to the 27 LEMCs and group photographs

Present at the event were Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie Chief of Staff Government House, Government Appointees, CP Aboki Danjuma , Commissioner of Police , Imo State Command represented by Eko Sunday Ofemism, other sister security Agencies, State Director of NYSC represented by Mrs Eze, Head of Service Mrs Chikodi Emenalo, Dr Mrs Julie Onyeukwu Chairman Imo State Civil Service Commission, Local Government Chairmen and Operational Head NEMA for Imo and Abia States, Mr Igwe Nnamdi Chukwudi.