TheNewsGuru

Tag: Flood

  • FG warns states of impending flood as river water from six nations arrive Nigeria

    River water from six of the eight countries that make up the Niger Basin has arrived Nigeria, increasing the risk of flooding in 10 states, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency alerted Nigerians on Saturday.

    The water , according to the Director General of the agency, Clement Nze, left Guinea, Niger Republic, Guinea, Mali, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire on the last day of last month and entered Nigeria yesterday.

    The consequence, Nze said in an interview yesterday is that, the water will end up in River Niger and put 10 states in danger of flooding.

    He said the water may increase the chances of flooding in Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa , Kogi, Edo, Anambra, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa States.

    NIHSA is a Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility of monitoring all the major rivers in the country including the trans-boundary Rivers Niger and Benue.

    Nze explained that water measurement in Niamey, capital of Niger Republic, showed that the water level has entered the red alert zone, peaking at 6.26 meters, on August 31.

    He said: “Lagdo dam in Cameroon has not released water yet. But the flood that was sighted in Niamey, Niger Republic as at around 31st of August has arrived Nigeria from Kebbi State. That is the first point that it enters Nigeria.

    “There is a measurement we have in Niamey, as at 31st, it entered the red alert zone, 6.26 meters. The water will affect Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Edo, Anambra, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa before it empties into the Atlantic.”

    The NIHSA DG said he had informed the operators of the Kainji and Jebba dams in Niger state about the increasing water level.

    He said the operators have started emptying the dams with a view to blocking the excess water from the six countries.

    Nze said: “They called me from Niamey to alert the operators of our dams in Nigeria. I have called the operators of Kainji and Jebba dams about what they should be expecting. The water may take about 15-20 days after getting to Kebbi State.

    “They have opened their gates, releasing water so that when this water arrives from Niamey, they will block it. Their dam reservoir level is about 3.1 meter high, that’s a threatening level.”

  • Flood kills pregnant woman, two others in Jos

    Flood kills pregnant woman, two others in Jos

    Three persons, including a pregnant woman, have been killed by flood that swept through some parts of Zinariya community in Jos, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports.
    The flood, which resulted from days of downpour, also brought down nine houses pulled down.
    “The incident resulted from narrow waterways; the victims were asleep when the rain started, but with the water soaking up foundations of their buildings, the structures collapsed on them,” Sani Bello, a relation of the victims, told NAN on Thursday.
    According to him, the water washed the bodies of the three deceased away.
    “My pregnant elder sister, who was on a visit from Naraguta, a nearby community, was among the people washed away by the flood.
    “We have found her body and buried it. There is also a lady with a broken leg who has been taken to the hospital.
    “Another victim, one Ibrahim, who is seven years old, also sustained injuries and has been taken to the hospital,” he said.
    Meanwhile, Sen. Istifanus Gyang (PDP/Plateau North), has visited the area to commiserate with the people.
    Gyang, who was represented by an aide, Daniel Dem, promised to assist the area with resources to rebuild their homes and map out waterways.
    He also offered financial assistance to the affected families and urged the community to stop building houses along waterways so as to avoid a recurrence.
    The Ward Head of the community, Mallam Yahaya Abubakar, who received the items, commended the Senator for his show of concern.
    “You are the first government official to come to the aid of my community. May God continue to bless you for this kindness,” he said.
    He regretted the damage caused by perennial flooding in the area, and urged government to take urgent measures to mitigate that.
    One of the beneficiaries of Gyang’s gesture, Malam Mohammed Kamilu, while appreciating the kindness, said that the money would be of great assistance to the victims.
    “Some of the victims lost practically everything. This assistance will help them to restart life all over again,” he said.

  • Flooding: Okowa issues directive for dredging of ‘all existing drainage channels’

    Flooding: Okowa issues directive for dredging of ‘all existing drainage channels’

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has directed that all existing drainage channels along Okpanam road be dredged as part of measures to mitigate flooding in Asaba, the State Capital.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Governor Okowa on Tuesday gave the directive to dredge all existing drainage channels along Okpanam road, prior to the completion of the new storm drainage projects in the State capital.

    Recall that the Governor had inspected the storm drainage sites in Asaba and surrounding areas, as well as their discharge points at the Anwai River; Government House; and Cornerstone Area at Okpanam.

    “Currently, we have 3 critical drainages that are being worked [on], however, there is a need to construct at least 5 more in order to control the flow of flood water in the State Capital. It is my firm belief that the completion of these ongoing drainage projects will remarkably reduce the water overflow in Asaba,” the Governor had said.

    The Governor urged all Deltans to utilize the services of private waste disposal operators across the state to properly dispose refuse, to add to the effort to ensure perennial flooding across the State is well managed.

    “Moving forward, we call on the people of our great state to join us in putting an end to the practice of dumping refuse in drainages. We urge you all to utilize the services of the private waste disposal operators across the state as you properly dispose your refuse,” Okowa stated.

  • Flood sweeps away two siblings in Delta

    Two siblings from Alibioba Community, Agbor, in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Testimony Okwuokenye (15) and Godwin Okwuokenye (11), were swept away last Thursday by flood.

    According to reports, the heavy downpour which started at about 3:45 pm swept away Testimony, a JSS 1 student of Agbor Technical College and his brother, Godwin, a primary five pupil of Alibioba Primary School in the area.

    Eye witness said that the brothers were returning home from an outing when the rain started, adding that they stepped into a gutter few metres away from their home.

    Speaking in an interview, father of the deceased teenagers and a pastor in one of the Pentecostal churches in the area, Godday Okwuokenye, said at about 4:30 pm on that fateful day, he received a distress call by a teenager in the area who informed him that flood had swept away the two brothers.

    His words, “That day, Thursday, I went to our garden with my children, Testimony and Godwin. When we discovered that the weather was changing, threatening to rain, we rushed home. When we got home, it was already drizzling and, both of them carried some basins to gather water.

    “Then, I went into my room and decided to lie down on the bed. That was how I slept off. Few minute later, I heard some knock on the door and when I opened, the boy who was knocking said to me, “Sir, are you the father of Testimony, I said yes. Then, he said to me that flood carried both of them.

    “He said that Godwin, my younger son, fell into the gutter and Testimony, the elder one, in a bid to rescue the younger brother, was swept away with Godwin.

    “When I heard this, I quickly rushed out to the scene. But at Uromi Junction axis, I found a crowd of rescue team who had rescued one of them, whom I quickly rushed to the hospital where doctors at the Central Hospital, Agbor, confirmed that he was already dead.

    “The second boy was discovered the following morning and he was also already dead,” the father said while sobbing.

    Reacting to the development, residents in the area who included the chairman, Landlords/Landladies Association, Mr. Chukwuyem Odia; a retired civil servant, Mr. Daniel Osunde; a 56-year-old housewife, Mrs Patience Edwin, as well as a 60-year-old housewife, Mrs Juliana Ehiosu, called on the state government to come to their aid in addressing the gully erosion challenge in the area.

    According to the respondents, the gully erosion has continued to pose dangerous threat to lives and properties in the area, particularly the lives of pupils of Alibioba Primary School in the area as well as students of Agbor Technical College.

    They explained that due to the nature of the road and the gully, several pupils and students of the school had in the past been rescued from the gully, adding that a lot of them have had broken limbs just as several buildings are at the verge of collapse.

  • Abuja: How 17-yr-old housemaid died in Lokogoma flood

    Abuja: How 17-yr-old housemaid died in Lokogoma flood

    A 17-yr-old housemaid died in a flood that submerged part of EFAB Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja.

    The house assistant, TheNewsGuru gathered was unable to leave the house when it was inundated by flooding caused by over five hours of rainfall – from 8am to 1pm on Thursday.

    One of the executives of the estate’s landlords’ forum, Shettima Gana Mohammed, said more than 15 houses and two churches were submerged by the flood. “We called NEMA and Fire Service but they did not come but the police were there and other security officers within the estates. They came with the people from facility office in the estate,” Mohammed said.

    “We did all we could and saved some of the residents but unfortunately in one of the houses, one of the helps died. A guy, I did not ask his name,” he said.

    “The police recovered the casualty and took it to the Federal Staff Medical Centre in Jabi. I saw it, they were trying to resuscitate the person. One of our residents whose house was washed away by the flood came out and was trying to save the man. It was in my presence; one man died, it was the police that carried the corpse,” he said.

    Another source within the estate identified the victim as a teenager, named Bala. The Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Abbas Idris, however, said the agency was not aware of any casualty due to the flood.

    “We did not rescue anybody either dead or alive. The flood affected some of the infrastructure there and some houses but no life was lost. In our intervention the community did not tell us that someone died,” he said. He said emergency officers were dispatched to the scene immediately they got the information.

    “From what we assessed there were buildings on the waterways and that was why the water could not have its own access and so it had to overflow.

    “Gilmor Construction is there, with FCDA officials to see what they can do if it means pulling down some structures to allow access for the water and then all over the FCT the department for facility maintenance has been instructed to desilt drainages and then the development control are going round to ensure that structures on waterways are pulled down,” he said.

  • Flooding: NEMA distributes relief materials to affected communities in Rivers

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to flood affected communities in Rivers.

    The ongoing intervention distribution in Onelga Local Government Area of the state was witnessed by all the Community Development Chairmen (CDC) in the area.

    Mr Yakubu Suleiman, ead of Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of NEMA in Bayelsa and Rivers, started the distribution on Thursday, in Onelga.

    Suleiman said that this phase of intervention was to ensure that the affected communities received means of livelihood after surviving from the shock of the flood.

    “The agency knows that the victims need food and non-food items to survive after the flood incident,” he said.

    Suleiman said that the agency had done intervention in all the camps of the affected LGAs and also in more than 50 communities in the area.

    He also said that about 71 communities in Ahoada West had benefited from the distribution of 100 bags of rice, garri, salt among others to each community in the area.

    Suleiman said that there was a shift of distribution of relief materials from the former system of handing over materials to SEMA or LGA chairmen.

    “We appeal to all state governments to embrace the direct distribution concept of NEMA. Direct distribution means, taking the materials door to door steps of the affected communities.

    “And not handing it over to State Emergency Agencies or Local Government chairmen and then go back to Abuja without reaching the communities.

    “This is exactly why we are taking it to the door steps of the victims. The communities involved signs an acknowledgement paper for us when they take their materials.

    “This shows that they received the materials and we also have our copy in case of doubt,” Suleiman said.

    He said that the post food team had taken records of all farms, buildings, health centers, worship centers and fish farms that were affected by the flood.

    “This team has been working with us and they will ensure that the victims get what they will use to survive,” he said.

    Suleiman stated that the relief for Bayelsa has yet to arrive; the materials on ground at the moment were meant for Rivers.

    He said that the distribution was successful due to the cooperation of the communities involved.

     

  • Amnesty Office distributes noodles, other items worth N90m to flood victims

    Amnesty Office distributes noodles, other items worth N90m to flood victims

    The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has begun distribution of relief materials worth N90 million to some communities ravaged by flood recently in the Niger Delta.

    Mr Murphy Ganagana, Special Assistant (Media) to PAP Coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo, said in a press release on Monday in Abuja that the distribution would last for a week.

    He listed items being distributed to include: rice, beans, indomie noodles, groundnut oil, Maggi cubes, tomatoes, detergents, bathing soaps, disinfectants, and medicals.

    “The gesture is to provide succour for inhabitants of the affected communities who live in terrible conditions since their homes and sources of livelihood were affected by the flood.

    “The Amnesty Programme is meant for the people of Niger Delta, and whatever affects communities in the region affects us.

    “So far, we have spent N90 million on purchase of the relief materials we are distributing to various communities which include Bomadi, Oboro, Okpokunou, Esanma, Akugbene, Ogodobiri and Ezebiri.

    “The others include Ayakoromo, Tuomo, Ogbobagbene, Kpakiama, Obotebe, Ofonibeinghan, Gbekebo,Ogbeingbene, Patani, Aven, Kolowari and Gbaregolor, among other communities in Delta.

    “In Bayelsa, relief materials are being distributed in Adagbabiri, Odi, Trofani, Kaiama, Esampou, Zarama, Ogbeinbiri, Opuama, Ofunama, Shekelewu, Ogbudugbudu, Arogbo, Safa-Arogbo, Agadagba Obon, Ajakoroama and Opugbini,’’ he said.

    Ganagana also said that some communities in Edo and Ondo states would benefit from the distribution.

    Meanwhile, at Trofani, Bayelsa State, the Ebedaowei of Kabowei Kingdom, Aserifa Hope Torru, hailed Dokubo for humane, responsive and caring leadership.

    Torru said that the coordinator was committed to the interest and welfare of Niger Delta people.

    “It is on record that we have had several flood disasters in the past; I remember what happened in 2012 and thereafter. This is the first time the Amnesty Office will share in our pain and take steps to ameliorate our plight.

    “This is commendable; I urge other public and private organisations to take a cue from what the Amnesty Office has done to give us succour,” the monarch said.

     

  • Operation Crocodile Smile 3: Army donates food items to flood victims in Delta

    Operation Crocodile Smile 3: Army donates food items to flood victims in Delta

    The Nigerian Army has donated food items to over 2000 flood victims in Delta in order to alleviate their plight.

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, presented the items on Saturday.

    The donation was made to the victims at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South-West Local Government Area.

    The army boss said that the succour came at the instance of the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    “The CAS sympathised with the victims of the recent flooding that ravaged houses and brought some untold hardship on them.

    “He has also directed that you consider what he called “Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’. It means keeping the people safe,’’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items donated included; bags of rice, gari, vegetable oil, several cartons of Indomie and table water.

    The “Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’ was flagged off on Nov. 1 in Bayelsa while that of Delta started on Nov. 2.

    The GOC was flanked by officers including the Commander, Sector 1, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Col. Alhassan Grema, Commanding Officer 3 Battalion, Effurun, Maj. Salim Hassan.

    Addressing newsmen, Sarham said “Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’ was basically to ensure safety of lives and property.

    “It is aimed at riding communities from crimes and basically to safeguard lives and properties.

    “We are not unmindful of the fact that there are criminal elements within the society here.

    “The Nigerian Army in conjunction with other security agencies has designed an annual training exercise which they turned into operations to ensure that crime does not thrive in our communities

    “We are in the vanguard of national development and you cannot develop where there is no peace and security,’’ he said.

    The GOC and his convoy had earlier met with the people of both Aladja in Udu Local Government and Ogbe-Ijoh on the exercise.

    He said that the exercise was not to harm or disrupt peace but to curb violence, pipeline vandalism and other crimes in the Niger Delta region.

    The army boss, however, solicited for understanding, support and cooperation of the people throughout the period of the exercise and urged them to always use dialogue to resolve their differences.

    “We are here to conduct Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’ in your domain, soldiers are servants of the people, we are agents of peace, we engender development,’’ he said.

    Sarham thereafter moved to the 3 Battalion (Rear) Tactical Headquarters, Egbokodo, Warri South to meet with the personnel.

    While commending the personnel for their good work, he warned them against being used by the saboteurs but to continue to uphold the ethics of the military profession.

    One of the flood victims, Mrs Elizabeth Bayo, 64 year and mother of four, commended the Nigerian Army for the donation.

    Coordinator of the IDP camp and a staff of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Bridget Ezonfade, expressed gratitude to the Army, adding that she had over 2000 victims comprising children and adults in the camp.

     

  • Flood: 4,000 victims benefit from NAF medical outreach in Bayelsa

    Flood: 4,000 victims benefit from NAF medical outreach in Bayelsa

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has begun a five-day medical outreach for nearly 4,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bayelsa.
    Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
    Daramola said the medical intervention holding at Igbogene Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area was an initiative of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
    He said that Abubakar had directed the NAF Medical Services unit to take necessary steps toward ameliorating the suffering of the victims of the flood disaster.
    The director quoted Abubakar as saying that NAF would always be ready to deploy its resources in alleviating the hardship faced by Nigerians.
    CAS urged the IDPs to take advantage of the high quality and free medical services that would be provided for them, saying that eye surgeries would be carried out at the NAF Medical Centre in Yenagoa.
    The director said that the chief of air staff was represented at the opening ceremony by the Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command (AOC MC), AVM Napoleon Bali.
    He said that some of the beneficiaries of the outreach,which also had officials from the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, State Ministry of Health and Nigerian Red Cross Society who were in attendance, expressed appreciation to the NAF for coming to their aid.
    He said that the medical outreach would also cater for the medical needs of women, children and the aged affected by flooding.
    Daramola said that services that would be provided during the five- day medical outreach include free medical consultations and drugs, laboratory investigations, prescription eyeglasses, and treated mosquito nets.
    The NAF spokesman said that there would also be general and eye surgeries for those with conditions requiring minor surgical interventions.
    He said that the outreach was part of the NAF’s humanitarian efforts geared toward alleviating the suffering of the victims of the recent flood disaster caused by heavy rainfall in parts of the country.
    Meanwhile, the NAF had recently conducted medical outreaches for flood victims at Zungeru in Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger and Jibia in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, totalling 5,000 beneficiaries.
     

  • Flood destroys 280 hectares of rice farms

    Flood has destroyed 280 hectares of rice farm in Iguoriakhi and Iguomo in Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West local government areas of Edo.
    The state Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Mr Dirisu Abdulsalam, told newsmen on Thursday in Benin that farmers close to the riverine areas in the state were worst hit by the flood.
    He appealed to government at all levels to come to assist farmers following the destruction of thousands of hectares of rice farmlands by flood in several communities in Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South senatorial districts.
    Abdulsalam noted that the flooding would negatively affect government’s drive at sufficiency in rice production in the country.
    He said that the association was evolving modalities to ensure the farmers were ready for dry season farming, to make up for the destruction.
    “The association will be sensitising rice farmers for dry season farming to make up for the shortfall occasioned by the destruction of rice fields by flood.
    “There are many problems in rice production and the worst of it at the moment is that flood has eroded or washed away crops and even submerged some of our members’ houses.
    “Therefore, we appeal for assistance from government and international donors so that our farmers will not go and commit suicide,” he said.
    According to him, flooding will reduce rice production chain in the state, adding that the affected farmers have lost millions of Naira investment.
    He, therefore, appealed to the state government to make tractors available to rice farmers, noting that the state had no single tractor.
    Abdulsalam said Edo was one of the major rice producing states in the country.
    He expressed regrets that the state government was not giving priority to rice farmers in terms of provision of certified seedlings and funding.