Kwara State government has commenced an advocacy visit to flood-prone areas to sensitize the people so as to vacate river banks, in a bid to avert the reoccurrence of the flood disaster last year.

The advocacy visit which commenced at Shonga in Edu local government area of the state was led by the chairman of the state committee on flood disaster and rehabilitation, Alhaji Mohammed Dabarako.

The committee was received at the palace of the Emir of Shonga; Dr. Yahaya Haliru and village heads of all the flood prone areas in the town.

Dabarako who is also the State Head of Service while addressing the people at the palace of the monarch stressed the need for residents in river banks to vacate their domain for uplands before heavy rains set in.

He said the Federal Government has pledged provision of building materials to the state to cater for any damaged buildings during the year.

He said the state government is fully ready to put in place relocation centres in all flood prone areas of the state to a more conducive and safer environment.

Responding, the Emir of Shonga described the havoc of the 2012 flood disaster in his domain as devastating as he thanked both the State and the Federal Government for providing immediate succour to 2012 flood victims in the area.

The traditional ruler who urged the state government to put in place relocation centres pledged to prevail on his subjects to vacate river banks.

The committee distributed leaflets and hand bills to several residents in Shonga on the need to vacate river banks and is expected to continue the advocacy visits to other local government areas affected by 2012 flood including the management of Kainji and Jebba dams.