The Edo government says it has released over N300 million relief materials to support flood victims in the state.

The commissioner for public safety and security, Kingsley Uwagbale, disclosed this at a press briefing in Benin City on Wednesday.

Mr Uwagbale said he had engaged local government chairmen in the state to ensure that all issues were resolved.

“Gov. Godwin Obaseki has spoken with local government chairmen in terms of relief materials and he has released over N300 million as of today beyond what was released as an emergency fund to ensure there are no issues at all.

“He has given us the mandate to ensure the safety of Edo citizens living in flood prone areas of the state.

“We are in control of the situation.

“There is funding, relief materials, and people will move into these camps until the rain subsides.

“We have been sensitising the people in the last three, four, five months since we heard that flood is coming and people have made the move already,” Mr Uwagbale said.

He, however, appealed to residents of the flood-prone communities to move to safer ground and the camps set up by the government.

“We have the capacity to set up emergency camps for at least two or three weeks that can take people in until the flood subsides and they can go back to their homes,” he said.

“The governor has also asked us to warn the people about the flooding.

“He urged the people in the exposed regions in the state, including Etsako East, Etsako Central, Esan South East, Ubiaja, and Illushi areas to either relocate upland or into the camps.

“There will be flooding in these areas and the people living there are warned to relocate to IDP camps already prepared for them,” he said.

Mr Uwagbale further said that other emergency response teams have been mobilised like the National Emergency Management Agency, State Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, police and other stakeholders.

 (NAN)