Curbing flood menace in Nigeria, a wake-up call for govt, individuals
By Newslineglobal.com- October 31,2022
Flood is a natural disaster caused by heavy rainfall, bad agricultural practices, deforestation and collapsed dam. It has social and economic effects on its victims and the society. Flood can result in famine, homelessness, loss of life , property, crops, livestock’s, schools, churches, markets, and critical public health infrastructure among others.
According to reports, 2022 floodings displaced over 1.4 million people, killed over 600, and injured more than 2,400 across the globe.
In Nigeria, flooding regularly wreaks havoc annually. In 2017, floods affected 250,000 people. In 2016, 92,000 were displaced and 38 died. In 2015, more than 100,000 people were displaced and 53 died. In 2012, two million people were displaced and 363 died. In 2022, over 600 people died as a result of flooding.
In Anambra state, Ogbaru local government was worst hit Some of the affected communities are Iyiowa, Ogbeukwu, Ogwu Ikpele, Amiyi, Akili Ogidi, Obeagwe, Ossomala, Umunankwo, Ogbakuba, Ochuche, Okoti, Akili Ozizor, Odekpe, Ohita and Atani.
Anambra State Emergency Management Authority said that over 60 per cent of lands are currently underwater, a development that forced the state government to order closure of schools in the affected areas .
Flood victims who spoke to national light, said flood is a yearly occurrence in their communities John Enebeli from Ogbaru, Anambra state ,said that this year’s flood is different. “Yes, we have flood annually, though this year’s own is too much . It is different from what we used to have. The level of destruction is too much. There was a boat accident at Umunankwo which killed so many people, farm lands were destroyed and houses, other properties submerged,”he said.
When asked if he would want their community to be relocated to a safer place, he said no.”How can people leave their ancestral home to another place? It is not possible. We cannot leave our ancestral home. The water level has started going down. Hopefully , by end of October, it will dry off’, Enebeli said
He appealed to government and individuals to assist them with food stuffs, clothing and to help them rebuild their houses destroyed by the flood.
Another victim, Chiejina Okeke said that they are suffering, starving. “Some were sick and needed medical attention”. He He appealed for an urgent action from the government to alleviate the sufferings of the victims, most of whom have lost all their belongings to the flood.
Hope Adama, another victim, appealed to the government to come to their aid and supply food items to them. She urged government to construct more roads, and dams to help reduce the effects of flood in the country. She said that they don’t want relocation. That the flood will recede and they will go back to their communities and live their normal lives.
Adama, said that some people, especially, the elderly men refused to leave their houses. They said that they were going to stay behind and watch over their houses.”Unfortunately, some of them were drowned”
On the actiion taken by Anambra state government, the Governor , Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, during his visit to one of the IDP camps in Onitsha North local government area, appealed to government at all levels, agencies and individuals to tackle the flood menace.
“Anambra State Government is doing everything possible to alleviate the sufferings of the people. They need support now and afterwards because their houses, property and farmlands are submerged. I am worried that they will have to start life afresh. We are receiving people from Delta State to join the IDP camp in Onitsha North”, Soludo said.
The governor said that the flood surged from Cameroon. He urged the Federal Government to hold dialogue with the government of Cameroon in order to proffer solutions to the issue.
In Enugu State, a flood victim from Iggah community of Uzo-Uwani local government area, Enugu state, Nnaemeka Ofornna, said flood used to occur in their community every year, but this 2022 flood is the worst. “It is too much”. He said the flood claimed lives, destroyed farmlands, property worth millions of naira. Offornna appealed for help from the government and individuals. He specifically appealed for food, healthcare services and clothing.
He also appealed to the government to help them rebuild their houses destroyed by flood.
The federal government , state government and individuals heede the pleas for an urgent nterventiion. The federal government donated multi-million naira relief materials to flood victims in Anambra, Enugu, Bayelsa, Delta ,Benue and others states affected by flood.
The relief materials donated were rice , beans , maize salt, vegetable oil, seasoning cubes ,tin tomatoes, nylon mats and treated mosquito nelts. Others are: toilet soap Guinea brocade, children wear, women’s wear and men’s wear
The Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, suspended his campaign to pay solidarity visit to the flood victims across the country.. He urged other contestants to do the same. Obi visited flooded areas in Bayelsa State; the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Ogbaru, Anambra State; the Industrial Harbour in Onitsha and the IDP camps in Anambra East, to reach out to those affected by flooding and to encourage them.
He visited Asaba, Delta State to assess the extent of damages caused by the floods and to commiserate with victims. Obi said that he feels sad for the huge economic losses brought upon the people by the floods, but above all, by the lives lost to the disaster.
“We pray that a disaster like this never befalls us again. We continue to appeal to relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations to continue to reach out to the people displaced by floods and continue to help them through these difficult times,” he said
In Enugu State, while presenting the relief items to the state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in Enugu, recently, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, Onbehalf commiserated with the people and government of the state over the unfortunate flood diaster that had ravaged some communities in the state.
He said that NEMA had been inundated with reports of flood disaster in more than 450 local government areas in the country and still counting; thus, causing colossal loss of lives, livelihood, properties and infrastructure.
The director general called for “concrete and deliberate” action that would lead to substantial reduction of flood disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods, health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environment assets of persons, businesses and communities.
“To be able to achieve these we need to have a better understanding of flood disaster risk, by looking deeply into the previous flood disasters. A deeper questioning of what happened, and why, could prevent a repetition,” he said.
He also called for strengthening of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and establishment of Local Government Emergency Management Committees to manage disaster risk.
“As a people, we must listen and take full advantage of early warning alerts from hydro-meteorological services (NIMET and NIHSA) and NEMA as well as ensuring that new infrastructure does not introduce new risk. Locating infrastructure out of harm’s way is one way to achieve this.
“Have the political will to invest in disaster risk reduction activities through adequate budget appropriations in lieu to the National Flood Response Plan that was recently approved by the Federal Government,” he said.
Ahmed commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for providing the first line of support to affected population as well as appreciated public spirited individuals and corporate bodies for their assistance in the state so far.
He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, for the timely intervention and commitment to the welfare and well being of the citizen of the country.
One of the senior officials coordinating the activities at the IDP camps in Enugu State and the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nkechi Eneh, said that Enugu state took the necessary steps concerning the early warnings by NEMA and even monitored the level of water in rivers within the state before the sudden release of water from the Lado2 dam three weeks ago that devastated some communities in the state.
She said that one life was lost; and over 30,000 persons were directly affected by the floods, which had ravaged most communities in Uzo-Uwani local government area and other communities in boundary council areas close to Uzo -Uwani council.
“The state government had relocated all persons in communities affected by flood to holding camps and provided some relief items as well as daily food items to these camps even as they intend to care for them till the flood water recedes.
“We will find means of getting these relief materials from NEMA to them and ensure that it will definitely get to intended displaced persons in the state within a very short time,” she said.
On what to be done to avert a reoccurrnce in the country,
a Geologist, Nkechi Okafor said that there is an urgent need for government to avert flood disaster in future by constructing dams at strategic locations to check flooding.
She decried government’s poor response to the flood disaster in the country. “In August this year, NiMET predicted that the prevailing weather pattern in Nigeria would cause above-normal rainfall in about 19 states between August and October. Despite the warnings, nothing concrete was done by government at all levels to cushion the effect of the devastating flood, which has ravaged homes, displaced hundreds and washed away farm lands. “I call on the government to be proactive, respond promptly to warnings by weather experts. I call on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on flooding to free up resources for managing the disaster to avert reoccurrence”, Okafor said.
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