The King of Upata Kingdom in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, His Royal Majesty Felix Otuwarikpo, has called on the Rivers State Government to establish a State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to strengthen disaster response across the state.
Speaking in an interview with Today FM, the monarch expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the inadequate response of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to recurring flood disasters affecting communities in the South-South region.
Otuwarikpo said the inability of NEMA to effectively meet the needs of flood-prone communities has left community leaders to shoulder much of the responsibility for emergency response, often relying on limited resources to provide relief and support for displaced residents.
He stressed that Rivers State needs a functional state-owned emergency management agency capable of delivering rapid, coordinated, and effective responses tailored to the state’s unique environmental challenges.
The traditional ruler also urged the state government to introduce policies that would ensure academic activities are not disrupted whenever floods occur, noting that education should continue despite natural disasters.
Otuwarikpo further disclosed that the Upata Traditional Council is taking proactive steps to improve local disaster preparedness by reviving its Flood Management Committee to coordinate community-level responses to flooding and other emergencies.
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