TheNewsGuru

Tag: Flood

  • Flood: Buhari directs emergency bodies to offer needed assistance to Bayelsa

    Flood: Buhari directs emergency bodies to offer needed assistance to Bayelsa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday expressed sadness at the devastation caused by flood in Bayelsa, urging all emergency bodies to provide all necessary assistance to the state.

    According to reports by the State Government, 700,000 persons have been displaced in about 300 communities and villages in five of the State’s eight local government areas that were submerged in water due to rains causing the floods.

    The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, on Sunday in Abuja extended the nation’s condolences to the families of the victims and all those affected by the natural disaster.

    Shehu quoted the president as directing that all federal agencies dealing with rescue and disaster management offer all needed assistance to Bayelsa as the
    the authorities in the State continued to take steps to help people hit by the floods.

    Buhari blamed buildings on water channels, disregard for early warning by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the changes to weather caused by climate change as being the major causes of the floods across the country.

    He noted that the floods had so far hit 33 of the nation’s 36 states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which has not been spared either.

    The president also directed all concerned to work for the restoration of normalcy throughout the affected parts of the federation.

  • 603 dead, 2,407 injured, 1.3m displaced as flood ravages communities in Nigeria

    603 dead, 2,407 injured, 1.3m displaced as flood ravages communities in Nigeria

    Over 2.5 million persons are affected by current floods which hit Nigeria when Cameroonian authorities released water from their Lagdo Dam.

    Of this figure, 1.3 million people are displaced, 2,407 persons were injured, and 603 persons lost their lives.

    These figures were released on Sunday in Abuja by the the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, while unveiling Nigeria’s preparation to meet with the Government of Republic of Cameroon over the release of water from Lagdo Dam at a press conference.

    Farouq also tasked state governments to put more efforts on the evacuation of flood victims to higher grounds.

    She said about 121,318 houses were partially damaged, 82,053 houses were totally damaged, 108,392 hectares of farmlands were partially damaged and 332,327 hectares of farmlands were totally damaged.

    “While we mourn the unfortunate boat mishap in Anambra and other locations, please, we must note that we are not completely out of the woods,” Farouq said.

    She says that the Meteorological Agencies are warning that States like Anambra, Delta, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa are still at the risk of experiencing floods up till end of November.

    “So, we are calling on the respective State Governments, LGAs and Communities to prepare by evacuating people living on flood plains to high grounds, providing tents and relief materials, fresh water as well as medical supply for possible outbreak of water borne disease”.

    Farouq recalled that on Feb. 15, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) released the 2022 Seasonal Climate Prediction informing Nigerians that the rains of 2022 will be heavier and longer.

    She also states that on May 12, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency released the Annual Flood Outlook.

    According to her, “immediately after these two releases, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was all out in the media and went to all States and FCT.

    “NEMA warned of expected floods and advised on mitigating and preparedness actions needed to take to minimize losses and damages.

    “I also briefed the National Economic Council on Sep.22, where I outlined preparedness strategies that all State Governments should take to mitigate the 2022 floods.

    “I have laid this background so that you will appreciate the concern of this Ministry, that despite all these efforts, we still appear to have become overwhelmed by the flood when it came.

    “However, we must initiate a bilateral discussion with authorities in Cameroon in November on the periodic opening of the Lagdo dam.

    “The delegation to Cameroon is to be led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be requested to facilitate the meeting,” Farouq said.

    Farouq said there was enough warning and information about the 2022 flood but States, Local Governments and Communities appeared not to take heed.

    “There is the need for State Governments to invest in flood management and lead on community base flood early warning systems; hence we called on State Governments to take greater responsibilities for flood preparedness and response.

    “We are calling on the respective State Governments, LGAs and Communities to prepare by evacuating people living on flood plains to high grounds, providing tents and relief materials, fresh water as well as medical supply for possible outbreak of water borne disease”.

  • Flood, passivity, and a ruined future – By Dakuku Peterside

    Flood, passivity, and a ruined future – By Dakuku Peterside

    This year, 2022, the floods seem to have united different parts of the globe. The World Bank report estimates that 1.18 billion people or 23% of the world population, face significant flood risks.

    The floods have hit 27 of Nigeria’s 36 states and impacted around 1.4 million people, according to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. It has been reported that more than 500 people have been killed and 90,000 homes submerged, apart from supply chain disruptions.

    In the North Central in particular, Koton-karfe , Kogi State and surrounding communities have been seriously impacted, while the Orashi area of Rivers State has not been spared. Apart from unusual rains, the recent release of water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring Cameroon has also been blamed for the devastating floods.

    Beyond these statistics is the individual human tragedy of colossal proportions that beats the imagination. People have lost their livelihoods. The elderly and sick are displaced, food and necessities are scarce, and life has become drudgery and misery. All these are on top of the stifling economic crisis that every Nigerian contends with.

    It is convenient for political leaders and those charged with the responsibility of planning and acting on our behalf to make excuses that flood and flooding are common global threats. It’s even easier to blame climate change. Climate change and its impacts are more of a worldwide conversation than a local one. And we hope the 27th UN Conference of Parties (COP 27) holding in Egypt this November will make a meaningful impact on the conversation, although tremendous pessimism exists, given the poor results of previous conferences.

    The impact of the flooding in Nigeria is exacerbated by a lack of respect for science and leadership problems. Our lack of respect for science and preference for superstition is at the root of the flood disaster we have at hand. Since we do not respect science, therefore we seem not to have any place for strategic planning based on scientific evidence. The flooding problem is symbolic of a country whose leadership at all levels does not value planning, working with data and proactiveness.

    All the agencies in the environment sector, both local and international, had predicted the current flood ravaging our country on the basis of scientific evidence, but nobody showed authentic leadership in providing solutions that could forestall the disaster we have now harvested. Our leaders did not even seem to make any effort to benefit from past experiences and the availability of mitigation expertise. These floods did not start this year, and Nigeria had been affected in 2010 and 2012.

    We have had enough time to learn lessons from years of recurring flood disasters, but it is evident that we learnt none from this most recent development. What lessons must we take from this presistent problem of flooding, and how can we prevent or mitigate the impact of flooding in Nigeria?

    First, we must take the science of environment and climatic changes serious. It is noteworthy that in the recent instances of flooding disasters, it is not the lack of data and scientific knowledge that has been the problem, but the lack of effective and efficient use of data analysis to plan and put measures in place to either prevent flooding or reduce its impact. Our leaders act as if all environmental emergencies are Acts of God and, therefore, inevitable. This is baseless ignorance.

    Too much rain alone or overflowing rivers do not create much havoc when structural and procedural anti-flooding arrangements are in place. In countries where they take scientific evidence relating to flooding seriously, there are early warning signs to evacuate people and valuables, and people activate measures to protect their homes and valuables. The government provides channels for the easy flow of water to designated areas and sets other scientific and environmental standards that reduce the impact of flooding.

    There should be enlightenment campaigns for Nigerians and their leaders to counter superstitious beliefs and attitudes towards flooding and elevate the supremacy of scientific facts in this regard. This knowledge will help leaders plan better for and respond to flooding in more practical ways than the current blame-shifting or complete nonchalant attitude we see among them today.

    Second, the first line of defence against flooding is in arming Nigerians living in flood-prone areas with adequate science-based information on the risks involved in their environments, how to mitigate these and when to seek safety elsewhere. The institutions saddled with this responsibility must be alive to it and be held accountable when they fail in utilising scientific data to inform the people about their risk levels and create robust early warning systems.

    Yet, I must note that in the case of the Lokoja flooding, some institutions actually provided scientific information and early warning signals about the impending floods, but nothing much was done about this by the leadership or even those who ought to constitute the first line of defence against flood – the people themselves. Nigerians should demand a fit-for-purpose crisis management regime against natural disasters. The National Emergency Management Agency must be well funded and properly managed to react to disasters and work in synergy with local people to plan and manage crises such as flooding.

    Third, being reactive to issues for which we have prior information is symptomatic of the lack of proactiveness and accountability. Worse still, the leadership needed to ameliorate the impact of flooding cuts across all strata of government. The Federal Government should protect the lives and property of people in affected areas by declaring a state of emergency and designating human and material resources to reduce the impacts of flooding.

    The Federal Government can use its security apparatus to support and enforce evacuations, maintain dredging and waste management, and invest in flood mitigation efforts and infrastructure. In flood-prone areas, it should work on enhancing food resilience and security. In times of disaster, food and medicine are essential to limit the casualties of the disaster.

    State governments must desist from allocating land for building in designated flood plains and flood-prone areas, thereby encouraging the construction of structures that block the routes of natural flowing water. Importantly, they need to engage in building sturdy drainage system to control flooding. States must develop physical flood prevention and mitigation infrastructure and work collaboratively with the Federal Government to manage critical water infrastructure such as dams, waterways, and water-based resources.

    The national emergency response regime must be prioritised and adequately funded to help prevent disasters (particularly flooding) rather than being merely reactive to catastrophes. National and sub-national legislature need to create robust and adequate legal frameworks for dealing with flooding emergencies to ease the prevention and management of such natural or artificial disasters.

    Fourth, the world is facing a climate change crisis. It is not time to question the science behind it, but time to embrace and champion it in Africa. Globally, engagement with climate change is a burning issue. Political leaders in both developed and developing countries are obsessing with the matter and adopting definite science-based measures to counter it. However, Nigerian political leaders don’t seem interested. Neither the Federal Government nor any of the 36 state governments seems to take definitive action to implement climate change policies and frameworks .The implication is that we are not placing ourselves in position to be part of all international efforts to understand and deal with climate change. Meanwhile, there is a clear opportunity for Nigerian leaders to lead the Global South in demanding accountability from the global community regarding their climate commitments, especially the Global North.

    The proverbial saying must apply here, “the dog should not eat faeces and the goat’s teeth decay”. Climate change results from more activities in developed countries than in developing countries. China and USA have the highest carbon footprint in the world, representing the two biggest industrialised nations. China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide gas, with 10,668 million metric tons emitted in 2020, followed by the US, with 4,713 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. Nigeria’s contribution to carbon dioxide emission is literarily and comparatively insignificant. The biggest carbon emitters must compensate those affected in lands with less emission but face devastating climate change-induced natural disasters.

    All these factors mentioned above will help improve situations of natural disasters such as flooding. However, effective and efficient leadership is at the core. Until our leaders eschew superstition, embrace scientific facts about natural disasters and strategically plan to prevent or reduce their impacts, we will remain at the mercy of natural elements.

    Lokoja just showed us the tip of the iceberg on the possibilities and devastation of natural disasters. Predictably, this would not be the last of the flooding incidents. Now is the time to evolve or go extinct.

  • CAN President’s home taken over by flood [VIDEO]

    CAN President’s home taken over by flood [VIDEO]

    The Ndoni home of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Reverend Daniel Okoh in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has been taken over by flood.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports wife of Okoh, Ngozi disclosed this on Saturday, saying the whole community is submerged as well.

    “This is the home of the founder of my church and the home of the CAN President of Nigeria Christ Holy Church Int’l. The whole community are submerged. May God Almighty deliver us and set us free from this. Amen,” she wrote.

    Watch video below

     

    This is the home of the founder of my church and the home of the CAN President of Nigeria Christ Holy Church Int’l. The whole community are submerged.
    May God Almighty deliver us and set us free from this. Amen.
    #2022flood #flooddisaster #flooddamage #thankyoulord #Godhealourland #FloodVictims #inGodwetrust @classicmummy1

    Posted by Ngozi Okoh on Saturday, 15 October 2022

    Earlier, the CAN President had asked the federal government to set up and empower a presidential flood relief and rehabilitation committee to mobilise funds for victims of the recent flood that has ravaged parts of the country.

    In a statement, Okoh expressed deep concerns about the havoc that floods have wreaked around the country, especially as a huge number of people have been displaced and their homes, business places, thousands of acres of farmlands and worship centres submerged underwater for weeks.

    The Archbishop stressed that CAN is troubled that in the recent flooding incidents recorded in Anambra, two churches, Madonna Catholic Church, in Idemili Iyiowa Odekpe, and an Anglican Church at Obenani, collapsed because of the floodwaters currently pounding Ogbaru Local Government Area of state.

    “In the same breath, parishes of Christ Holy Church, particularly in Umueze Anam, Anambra West Local Government and its environs; St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ndoni, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the Rivers state as well as the branches of many other church denominations located in the swathes of land around the lower Niger River and the coastal states of our nation have been taken over by the worst deluge in living memory.

    “Also, in at least nine local government areas in Kogi State, namely: Kogi-Koto, Lokoja, Igalamela-Odolu, Bassa, Idah, Ibaji, Omala, Ajaokuta, and Ofu, the devastation caused by the flooding in over 160 communities may take several years to get over.

    “As a result of the flooding in Kogi, many travellers and traders are suffering serious collateral damages by being stranded around Lokoja and its surrounding districts, while truckers of perishable foodstuffs are on the verge of losing hundreds of millions of naira as their goods rot away even now that the nation is struggling to maintain food security.

    “Similarly, hundreds of distributors of refined petroleum products are trapped in a heavy traffic gridlock that reportedly stretches as far as 10 kilometres.

    “In our country where natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are remarkably rare, flooding is fast becoming the major source of worry because its effects are posing serious barriers to both the spiritual and material advancement of our people.

    “As citizens, we may not be used to responding to natural disasters of the magnitude that the country is witnessing presently, but we must not allow the experience to leave behind an indelible memory of horror and destruction”, the CAN President said.

    He, therefore, said “consequently, CAN urges the Federal Government to urgently set up and empower a Presidential Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee that will consist of eminent and wealthy Nigerians to mobilise financial assistance from both the public and private sectors for the victims of the flood disaster raging communities across the country.”

    Archbishop Okoh said such a presidential committee is necessary and timely at this point in Nigeria because the diligent intervention by all stakeholders will no doubt reduce the burden imposed by the natural disaster facing the country today

    The CAN President said the authorities should also make deliberate efforts by designing and implementing a permanent solution to the flood disaster which is steadily becoming a yearly occurrence in Nigeria.

    “We must further improve on our warning system, promote flood resilient buildings, construct buildings above flood levels and increase spending on the construction of flood defences.

    “Our people should be encouraged to planting of trees strategically while the authorities should stop at nothing to restore rivers to their natural courses and introducing water storage areas.

    “Apart from clearing the drainage, the government should also embark on public enlightenment about the responsibilities of citizens, which could help to reduce the impact of flooding,” he added.

  • Gov Wike proffer solution to perennial flooding in Nigeria

    Gov Wike proffer solution to perennial flooding in Nigeria

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said dredging the River Benue and River Niger will solve the problem of perennial flooding in Nigeria, stressing that the perennial flooding experienced in parts of the country was a result of a lack of initiative on the part of the federal government.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Wike, who made this known during a live interactive media chat in Port Harcourt on Friday, said the sight of River Benue makes him cry every time he flies over it.

    Wike asserted that one way of solving the ravaging yearly flooding situation is to pay attention to the sources of water flow and end the suffering of Nigerians who become impacted every year.

    “I asked what is this problem that we can’t dredge River Benue and River Niger? Each time I fly over Benue, the sight makes me cry. We won’t have had so much problem to this extent if we dredge them

    “But the politics, I do not know. Who is interested for River Benue, River Niger not to be dredged, and that has caused so much hardship for our people.

    “How can government from time refused to dredge the rivers and I heard, sometime, that they awarded the Calabar River. What happened, where is the money?” the Rivers State Governor queried.

    Wike imagined why the federal government will award an all important contract like the dredging of Calabar River and will not demand its execution, even when communities continue to suffer from such negligence.

    Governor Wike also informed that the taskforce on flood set up in the State is directly supervised by him to ensure that the impacted victims directly benefits from the relief materials that they would eventually require.

  • Bayelsa Gov, Diri cries out, says flood has also taken my house

    Bayelsa Gov, Diri cries out, says flood has also taken my house

     

     

    Nobody is spared as Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has lamented that his private building at Sampou Community in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of the state has been taken over by the ravaging flood in the state.

    Diri, who undertook an on-the-spot assessment of the flood situation in some communities, bemoaned the devastation of property and the hardship visited on people of the state by flood.

    The governor who was accompanied by the state Commissioner for Environment and chairman, Task Forceon Flood Mitigation and Management, Mr. Eselema Gbaranbiri, his Works and Information counterparts, Moses Teibowei, and Ayibaina Duba, respectively as well as other top government functionaries, visited communities submerged by the flood including, Tungbo, Sagbama town and Adagbabiri, all in Sagbama Local Government Area.

    While addressing the people the governor said he wanted to get first-hand knowledge of what the people and the communities were going through.

  • FG releases relief materials for flood victims in Anambra

    FG releases relief materials for flood victims in Anambra

    The Federal Government has released relief materials mainly food and non food items to flood victims in Anambra.

    Mr. Walson Ibarakumo, an Assistant Director in charge of Response and Rehabilitation, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said this after a closed-door meeting with officials of Anambra Government in Awka on Thursday.

    Ibarakumo said the non food items had arrived but the food items were yet to arrive in Anambra due to the traffic challenges caused by flooding in the confluence town of Lokoja, Kogi State.

    The NEMA official and his team were received by Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, Deputy Governor of Anambra, and Chief Paul Odenigbo, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency.

    He said the food consignment had been trapped on the Lokoja axis where flood had rendered the road impassable to vehicular traffic.

    He said the food items meant to Anambra were 1,400 (10kg) bags of rice, 1,400 (10kg) bags of beans, 1,400 (10kg) maize, 75 (20kg) of salt, 75 (20 ltr) vegetable oil, 1,000 cartons of seasoning and 75 cartons of tin tomatoes.

    The non food items included 7,350 nylon mats, 1,000 treated mosquito nets, 600 cartons of bath soap, 2,500 Guinea brocades (5yrds) and 1,000 units of each of children, women and men’s wear.

    Ibarakumo commended the Anambra government for their efforts so far in the response, rescue and intervention operations while expressing hope that the trapped materials would reach the state soon.

    On his part, Ibezim thanked the Federal Government for the support but expressed regrets over the devastating impact of the flood on Anambra.

    Ibezim said the number of affected local government areas had increased from five to seven with addition of Ihiala and Ekwusigo.

    He said new challenges were emerging each new day due to rising water levels and that the government was still busy with containing the disaster which overstretched their preparations.

    The deputy governor said efforts were being made to provide minimal comfort to victims and that every item meant to cushion their pains would be diligently distributed.

  • Pathetic stories washed up by floods – By Azu Ishiekwene

    Pathetic stories washed up by floods – By Azu Ishiekwene

    Back in the day, weather forecasts were a joke. And I mean literally. The weather forecast segment which used to come at the end of the news bulletin on Nigeria’s national broadcaster, NTA, was the butt of cruel jokes amongst folks.

    Often when the forecasters said it would rain, we said they meant the opposite. Seven out of 10 times, we were right; and the other three times, it drizzled on one side of the street and was stone dry on the other. That was in the early 1970s and 1980s when either as a result of poor predictive tools, limited knowledge or both, weather forecasters only did slightly better than the village rainmaker.

    Times have changed. Weather forecasters do not only have better tools today, they have also become more precise and dependable. The irony is that even now that we have more dependable weather warnings we can use, we seem far less prepared for the fallouts of adverse weather.

    Those who said the war foretold does not take the crippled by surprise would themselves be surprised by today’s augury. Foretold rains meet both the crippled and the whole in such an alarming state of unpreparedness that when the storm is over, neither is better off. And that is, in spite of the obvious advantages of early warning systems.

    After recent flood-related disasters left about 500 dead, 1.5 million (larger than the population of the Vatican City) displaced in 27 states and property worth billions of naira destroyed, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), is warning that the worst is yet to come.

    That is frightening. To think that after catastrophic floods left Koton-Karfe, Lokoja, in Nigeria’s North Central a miserable wretch, with scores of houses submerged and major roads impassable, that the worst is yet to come, is very, very serious.

    To think that floods that wrecked Olam Farm’s 52km long dykes and damaged an estimated $20million worth of assets at what is easily Nigeria’s largest private farming enterprise might not be the end of the wrecking weather ball, is truly frightening. And we’re not even talking about the damage to small-farm holders whose livelihoods have also been washed away!

    Yet, there’s a spooky sense in which it is true that neither the devastation already recorded nor NiMet’s warning may be the worst thing to happen. The real tragedy is the helplessness of millions of vulnerable people in communities that would be affected, their fate infinitely worsened by the indifference of a political elite too distracted by politics, to pay more than lip service to the looming disaster.

    It’s a distraction fed by a false sense of security, the opposite of enlightened self-interest. Nigeria’s elite doesn’t travel by road. They are too frightened by the poor state of inter-state roads, by insecurity or both, to dare.

    In a country ranked 37th in the world by landmass, yet with only 15 percent motorable road network, the phobia for road travel is worse in the rainy season. But it really doesn’t matter to the elite. Even if the whole country is flooded and the roads broken – as we saw in Lokoja last week – they would still build a helipad on Noah’s ark. The only thing possibly worse than NiMet’s warning is this out-of-touch elite.

    I know folks who spent two days last week travelling from Lagos to Abuja by road, a journey of 10 hours or so, even in the worst of times. In the afternoon when they managed to get to Lokoja (normally three hours to Abuja) they couldn’t find a way: They were stuck in a gridlock.

    After a listless four-hour wait, during which they weighed and ruled out the option of a two-hour ferry ride to the other side because of fear of banditry and scarcity of petrol, the travellers managed to find their way back to Ajaokuta and slept there. The trip to Abuja the next day was through Otukpo and other Benue villages to Nasarawa and then finally, to Abuja!

    That was only one of the many tales of misery from the current floods. A woman who lives in Mpape, an Abuja suburb, shared this story on a group platform this week: “I’ve always read about and watched people’s houses flooded…they lose their stuff and become homeless, but I never thought I could experience it.

    “I left home to see a friend who came (to Abuja) for her father-in-law’s funeral this afternoon only to be told by my neighbours that I should start rushing home. Met the house behind mine collapsed, our gate uprooted and my house and stuff flooded. Just finished getting what I could now. Please if you know someone who has a BQ to let in Abuja…”

    I do. Most of them live in Asokoro, Maitama, Guzappe, and such areas unlikely to experience floods in a million years. Not that it’s a bad thing to live in such leafy neighbourhoods if you can afford it. In Nigeria, however, these areas are crime scenes inhabited by elites who should do something with NiMet’s warning for the safety of the vast majority, but who choose to do absolutely nothing about it.

    Part of the reason for the scarcity of petrol in Abuja for most of last week was that tankers, laden with products for Abuja and parts of the North, were stranded in the Lokoja floods. But it wasn’t big news because the elite would pay for petrol whatever the cost or avoid road nuisance completely by flying.

    It wasn’t just petrol or farms that were impacted by the floods, which could have been better managed if NiMet’s warning sign meant anything to the government. The food supply chain was ruined, too.

    According to a report in LEADERSHIP on Sunday, a trailer driver, Ismail Mohammed, who had spent three days on the Bida-Lapai-Suleja Road, which is supposed to be an alternative to the Lokoja Road, said, “The situation is so bad…you can see me slaughtering my cow, the tenth one in three days.” This waste for a country already in the throes of climate and insecurity-induced shortages, was symptomatic of what happened up and down the food chain following the flood chaos.

    What was not in short supply, however, were condolence messages by government officials and promises of emergency relief, which if it arrives at all, would be late and depleted by theft. If you underestimate the capacity of government officials to profit from citizens’ misery, ask Saudi Arabia what happened to the 200 tonnes of dates that the kingdom supplied to Boko Haram victims in IDP camps to break their fast during the 2017 Ramadan.

    But that’s a story for another day. My concern here is: what is the use of NiMet’s early warning if vulnerable citizens would still suffer large-scale losses, some of them irrecoverable? NiMet warnings did not start today. In February, the service issued a warning of impending significant floods in North-Central states and also in the South-Eastern and South-Western regions of the country.

    The warnings fell on deaf ears. Not for the first time, of course. Before climate problems compounded the situation along the Niger-Benue River, the tug-of-war between Nigeria and Cameroon over the latter’s Lagdo Dam had been a clear and present danger.

    Whenever excess water is released from the dam as was the case in September, for example, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Anambra and Nasarawa States are seriously impacted. The damage in 2012, said to have been the worst in 40 years, was estimated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at N2.6 trillion.

    Nigeria was supposed to build the Dasin Hausa Dam (more than double the size of Lagdo) in Adamawa State to absorb the overflow, generate 300megawatts of electricity and irrigate thousands of hectares of land. That was in 1982. As you read this article, the Dasin dam is still uncompleted – a failure of leadership that makes natural disasters a child’s play.

    It’s easy to say floods have receded and we can get on with our lives once again. Or to say, well, weather changes are now inevitable and we must learn to live with them, as if the predations of an incompetent government are the most natural thing.

    For hundreds whose lives and businesses have been ruined by the government’s malicious negligence, the floods are, I’m afraid, not over yet! We are not even talking about the unpredictable aftermath: possible outbreak of diseases like cholera and dysentery; polluted water sources; compromised infrastructure, and so on!

    Decades after we made fun of weather forecasters, the cruel joke is now on us: Between rising incidents of natural disasters and disasters in human form in the corridors of power, it’s hard to tell which is more devastating. And that, believe me, is not funny!

     

    Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

  • TNG Analysis: Nigeria fast submerging as flood ravages 33 out of 36 states+photos

    TNG Analysis: Nigeria fast submerging as flood ravages 33 out of 36 states+photos

     

    … Kogi, Delta, Benue, Kaduna, Rivers others going under

    …how NiMet had warned affected states since first week of September

    … insists heavy flood is signal of climate change

    The flood ravaging Nigeria in the last two weeks simply point to the fact that Nigeria is fast going under if nothing is done urgently to check it.

    In this analysis, TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) is going to take a look at the last three years how flood has become a nightmare to Nigerians.

    Between 2019 and 2021 it has become a recurring decimal as Nigerians battle flood once the rains start particularly with states warehousing the River Niger.

    The year 2012 was most catastrophic and the lame excuse given by government agencies was that other countries harbouring River Niger opened their dams and Nigeria being the last host country had to bear the brunt.

    2022 is almost going the way of 2012 which is a wide space of a decade yet nothing was done about dredging the Niger which is one of the major symbols of Nigeria.

    In 2019 a top federal civil servant, Tony Okecheme, was swept away by heavy flood in in the Lokogoma axis of Abuja. It was widely reported because a top civil servant was involved what about the poor ones residing in Gwagalada, Kubwa, Kuje that were swept away without reportage.

    Just last year September, just like the case of Okecheme, another top DSS intelligence officer was swept away by flood with his car.

    In 2020 it’s still same old story as two top intelligence officers were swept off and killed by flood.

    They’re numerous not to talk about the many communities in the middle belt and the Niger Delta that flood has relocated from their ancestral homes.

    Going by the statistics released by NEMA on Thursday the Nigerian government should think twice on the way forward to checkmate flood before it becomes another Boko Haram killing people without mercy.

    In the statistics made available by the relief government agency, 33 States out of the 36 States of the Federation were massively affected by this year’s flood.

    Statistics:

    33 States Affected, Over 500 Deaths, 350,000 Persons Displaced – NEMA

    FG approves 12,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve

    NEMA delivers relief materials to 36 states, FCT.

    In an event the NEMA DG gave a breakdown:

    Hear the DG of NEMA and others:

    The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, stated this in a media interview at the 2022 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction event organized by NEMA in Abuja, with the theme: “Early Warning and Early Action For All”.

    Ahmed also said that the agency has commenced delivery of relief materials to provide succor to persons affected by flood across the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    He further revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has also approved the release of 12,000 metric ton of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve for NEMA to distribute across the states to vulnerable Nigerians.

    He said: “The President has graciously approved 12,000 metric tonnes of grains that is equivalent of 400 trailers which has been spread across the country and we are still working on providing relief materials, food items and non food items to each state of the Federation and relief items have gone to all the States, we have some hiccups along the way in Lokoja, we alerted the DSS, IG of Police to help us in clearing the way so that relief items will continue to get to all relevant States”.

    He assured that the relief delivery will soon be completed to all other states by this weekend as efforts have been made to address some challenges encountered in movement of the items due to condition of the roads that were covered by flood.

    Reviewing the on-going flood situation in the country, Ahmed acknowledged that NEMA and its partners were grappling with “the large scale flood disaster across the country which more than 500 lives have been lost, several property destroyed and a large number of persons displaced in some of the disaster hotspots.

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, said all efforts must be made to address the challenges of flood situation in the country.

    The Minister who was represented by Director Disaster Management, Ali Grema, said of the present flood situation that “as a matter of fact, the scale of devastation can only be compared to the 2012 floods. More than 500 lives have been lost, more than 1.4million persons affected, about 90,000 homes either partially or completely destroyed; and still counting. And also destroyed are thousands of hectares of farmland; thus, worsening fears of a disruption of food supply in Africa’s most populous country. These widespread cases are in 27 out of 36 States and the FCT.”

    “As we reflect on the present flood situation in Nigeria, let’s consider the focus of the 2022 IDDRR. Did we not have enough warnings or was our predictions and flood outlook wrong? Did we not act enough to prevent or mitigate what we’re confronted with today?”

    “While we shall not apportion blames, we need to acknowledge the fact that we all had enough warning and our advocacy was timely. However, communities must recognize that ‘All Disaster Are Local’ and they must take climate predictions and flood outlooks warnings seriously. We can’t out rightly eliminate flood but we can keep people safe. That responsibility is collectively ours”.

    According to her, the Ministry, with relevant stakeholders were working on implementation of the National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan that was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council.

    “The plan stipulates specific roles and actions for all (including National, State and Local Governments as well as households, communities and pressure groups). The Ministry considers the importance of preventing deaths and loss of lives in a disaster that is predicted and occurs every year”, Farouqe added.

    Director General, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, (FERMA), Abbas Idris, said no one is to be blamed but early warning is an issue of education and enlightenment.

    “Nigeria is just coming up to join the league of nations whereby early warning really works well. The issue we are having in Nigeria is that when you are giving early warning to the residents or to the populace, they seem to be knowing much more than you, because we believe in some cultural and religious aspects that doesn’t allow us to take early warning.

    And I always say, early warning come from a learned people and learning is from God, knowledge is from God. So therefore we should adhere strictly and imbibe the culture of accepting the Early warning.

    ‘If for instance you are going this way and we told you there is an accident that blocked the way, you will try to deviate from going there. So why is it that when the learned people say it’s going to rain and it is going to cause flooding and they need you to evacuate, you will now say you will not evacuate? So you can see there is contradiction in our beliefs and in our culture, unless we change this we cannot get it right”, he said.

    He also said that the agency has been authorized to remove illegal structures obstructing free flow of water.

    “Like I told you, we have the political will to remove a structures that are obstructing free flow of water. If you know any, no matter how big the estate is let us know, help us and share information with us and we will definitely go and remove it.

    “So this is what we are doing, we are educating the public and we are also doing the needful, we cannot ask you to go and remove your own structure. And do you know, of we remove your structure we can also charge you for that and then prosecute you. So the law is there and we are not afraid to enforce the law for the safety of lives and the property of the FCT Residents.

    “We are on our way to prosecuting offenders”.

    Well said, but NiMet has a contrary view when it declared that the major issue confronting Nigeria is that of climate change.

    The agency insisted that it’s just rain that’s causing the havoc and the effects of climate change not because other host countries of River Niger opened their dams.

    The agency had in the first week of September this year warned most affected states to prepare for heavy flood. But as usual state governments turned dead ears.

    Hear NiMet:

    States at a high risk of flooding include Kebbi and Jigawa in the northwest, Borno Bauchi and Taraba in the northeast, Plateau in the north-central and Bayelsa in the south-south.

    Other states that may experience flash floods include Kano, Adamawa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo and Ekiti.

    “The saturated state of the soil moisture across the country in July and heavy rainfall recorded in August may make most places experience varying degrees of flooding, ranging from high, medium, low and flash floods in September.

    “Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Kano, Borno, Gombe and Nasarawa states recorded over 300mm, which represents over 40 per cent of long-term, normal rainfall for those places in one month. Places around the southwestern part of the country, however, recorded less than 200mm as a result of the long dry spell associated with ‘August Break’ in those areas.

    “It further stated that places with major river channels may experience probable high risk of flood events due to accumulation of water already on the river channels which may not be able to contain any additional water.”

    NiMet advised state emergency management agencies to intensify adaptative, mitigative and response mechanisms while states expected to experience degrees of flood episodes were advised to begin their awareness campaigns through field extension workers for possible flood activities within September, especially in high-risk areas.

    State governments never heeded to this warning and the effects of the flood is devastating in some states like Rivers and Delta that were not mentioned.

    NiMet had also warned that until on Sunday of next week the flood ravaging most of the states will continue.


  • Photos: Flood overwhelms Delta State as communities cry out

    Photos: Flood overwhelms Delta State as communities cry out

    …IMG calls on Delta Govt to help victims

    Delta State communities have been overwhelmed by flood as people are displaced from their ancestral homes.

    Reports monitored by TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) clearly indicate that there’s no community that does not have its fair share.

    Mostly affected are, Ijaw, Urhobo and Isoko communities in different locations of the state.

    A group under the aegis of Isoko Monitoring Group in a statement blamed Delta government for not showing concern to the plight of the affected communities.

    Hear the group:

    The Isoko Monitoring Group, (IMG) has expressed bewilderment at the
    “zero response” from government at all levels to the sufferings of the people of various communities in
    Isoko North and South Local Government Areas and other parts of Delta State currently being ravaged by flood

    The group, in a statement its President, Dr Oke Michael Aziakpono and Spokesperson/PRO
    Dr. Kingsley Oroh said: “As risk areas of the country suffer this seasonal disaster every year occasioned by failure of government in executing their responsibilities, the Isoko Monitoring Group, (IMG) is in bewilderment at the total insouciance and zero response from governments at various levels.

    “Rather than going to Uyo to preach rescue messages, we expected Governor Okowa and his officials to be on their Rainboots and in canoes visiting our people, who are suffering the impacts of this devastating flood to rescue them to at least IDP camps which a responsible and responsive government should have established by now.

     

    “That the Minister representing Delta State chose to be serenading us with BAT MOMENTS rather than mobilising all instruments of government to bring relief materials to the suffering people of Isoko displaced by this flood typifies the insensitivity of the Federal Government.

    “The two local government chairmen should wake up from their long slumber, fold up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Our people are suffering

    “The nation’s weather watch agency typically puts out warnings indicating the magnitude of the flood and what to expect. It would therefore be expected that government mitigation and relief agencies will be prepared to step in to protect communities and people at risk; but this is never the case.

    “As at the time of this statement, 60% of communities in Isoko North and South Local Government Areas of Delta State are under water, farmlands and homes in some areas have been washed away. Our people are displaced and devastated.

    “We call on the State government to step in immediately by embarking on a tour of affected communities to get firsthand assessment of what her citizens are suffering, to enable the government develop an appropriate response in conjunction with the federal government. This is the least we expect.

    “May we also point out that governments exist to serve and protect citizens. For government impact to be missing at critical times such as this implies that public officials do not understand the functions of government. This is the time for elected and appointed officials to swing into action and show concern for the hardship caused to their people by this disaster.

    “Like other affected communities in the country, our people need immediate relief materials for daily survival and after the flood they will need to rebuild their homes and restart their farming activities. Government assistance is greatly needed.

     

    “Although flood is a natural disaster, we are aware that this annual flooding is compounded by the opening of the dam in neighboring Cameroun, and the surging water pushes its way down to the lower Niger washing away communities on the lower Niger.

    “The federal government need to honour the agreement reached with the Camerounian government in 1977 by completing the Dasin Hausa dam in Adamawa state. While we await that, the two governments need to work together to find mitigation to this problem in the interest of their people.

    “We are also calling on all sons and daughters of Isoko to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters affected by this flood.”