NEMA Warns States Of Impending Flood Disasters

Seeks Stronger Partnership with NAF

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned of impending flood disasters in 31 communities across 14 states in Nigeria.

A statement released by the agency in Abuja on Wednesday, warned that about 31 communities might witness heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding from July 4 to July 8.

The advisory is coming against the backdrop of the heavy rainfall predicted for July in some states even as the Federal Government also sounded a warning to the citizens living near natural waterways, flood plains, and erosion spots.

The communities mentioned in the NEMA advisory include Langtang, Shendam in Plateau State; Sumaila, Tudun Wada in Kano; Shagari, Goronyo, Silame in Sokoto; Okwe, Delta State; Kachia, Kaduna State; Upenekang in Akwa Ibom; Mubi, Demsa, Song, Mayo-Belwa, Jimeta and Yola in Adamawa State and Katsina, Jibia, Kaita, Bindawa all in Katsina State.

Others are Wara, Yelwa, and Gwandu in Kebbi; Shinkafi and Gummi in Zamfara; Briyel, Borno State; Gwaram in Jigawa; Jebba, Kwara State and Mashegu, Kontagora in Niger State.

In response to the alert, state governments have directed residents living around flood plains and erosion spots to vacate these danger zones before it is too late.

The Territorial Coordinator, NEMA, Lagos Territorial Office, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye Farinloye, urged relevant stakeholders within the states concerned to take precautionary measures to forestall the loss of lives and property.

Farinloye thanked the Flood Early Warning System Central Hub of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, for sharing the information.

Some communities in Katsina State are already feeling the impact of the flooding as a

one-year-old boy drowned in a downpour Tuesday following a night rain which began a few minutes before 4 pm and ended shortly after 10pm.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Hajiya Binta Dangani, confirmed the incident adding that the mother of the deceased was carrying him on her shoulder when he slipped off and fell into the flood which swept him away.

The SEMA boss said, “The mother of the boy was carrying him on her shoulder while she had another baby strapped to her back. Unfortunately, the boy slipped from the mother’s shoulder and fell into the flood while efforts to rescue him failed. The house where the incident happened is close to a stream.”

Hajiya Dangani also counselled residents, especially those who have houses close to rivers or streams to always stay off the streams or rivers whenever it rains as sensitization of residents on the havoc of flood continues.”

The Tuesday downpour in Katsina disrupted business activities in the state capital, especially at Kofar Kaura Quarters where flood submerged the newly constructed underpass bridge and the surrounding offices and houses.

The Excutives learnt that at the onset of rains, Katsina, Sokoto and Kwara States have appealed to residents to leave flood zones and clear blocked drainages.

Hajiya Dangani disclosed that the state would evacuate and resettle people still living along flood plains but will not create any Internally Displaced Persons Camp.

“We are planning to evacuate those living along flood plains; we will not create any IDPs camp. We shall continue with our sensitization efforts to further enlighten residents on flooding and why people should not reside on the flood plains or be wary of building near rivers,” said the SEMA boss.

Highlighting the efforts made by Sokoto State Government to stem incidences of flood related disasters in the state, a staff of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Abubakar, explained that the agency had already sensitized some of the communities that might be affected by possible flooding.

Mustapha stated that the state government had done all that was necessary to tackle such an incident if it eventually arose, stressing that the agency had always prepared ahead of time for it.

”Sokoto State has been up-front in tackling the flood disaster. SEMA and its partners- Coopi and Christian Aid had presented this year’s flood outlook to the stakeholders and the predicted community leaders to be affected in April.

“Equally, flood awareness and early warning campaigns were conducted in Goronyo, Rabah, and Sokoto South LGAs in May.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), a simulation exercise on the menace of the flood was conducted in Goronyo and Rabah all through the assistance of Coopi and Christian Aid.’’

In Kwara State, the government has commenced the clearing and desilting of waterways.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, revealed that the government had since March rolled out programmes to prevent flooding in the state in response to the predictions of flooding by NEMA and other agencies.

“The government had since March rolled out various engagement and enlightenment programmes, including audiovisuals run on radio and across different new media platforms so that citizens are properly guided,” he revealed.

“Besides, the government has since started the clearing of drainages. There is ongoing desilting of drainages and the dredging of large water channels in the state, including the state capital.”

In a related development, the Delta State Government has urged residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer locations and enjoined farmers to embark on early harvest to reduce losses.

The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ben Agamah who advised Asaba, warned that the predicted flooding would be massive.

Agamah, who said the state government was deeply concerned about the likely devastating effects of flooding on farmers, admitted that the government cannot do much for now to save the situation.

“Delta State Government is irrevocably committed to the welfare of farmers during and after the likely flooding. The Sheriff Oborevwori administration, in the spirit of the MORE agenda, is ready to continue from where the immediate past administration stopped.

Also, the traditional ruler of the Abala kingdom, Igwe Frederick Egbunokonye, stated that residents in the area had earlier been advised to plant crops that would be harvested early to avoid possible losses.

While noting that the solution to the expected flooding was not readily available, the monarch re-echoed his call for the dredging of River Niger by the Federal Government.

On his part, the Secretary to Abagalada community, Simon Ilona, said his people were hoping that the flooding prediction would fail, maintaining that there was nothing on ground to contain the fury of nature if it came to pass.

In response to NEMA’s warning, the Kebbi State Government has expressed its readiness to tackle any form of flooding in the state this year.

The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Ahmed Idris, said Governor Nasir Idris on the assumption of office had set up machinery to tackle flooding in the state.

“When the governor assumed office, he gave directives to the Kebbi State Urban Development Agency to clear all drainages in the 21 local government areas of the state,” said Idris.

“He also gave a standing order to SEMA to support all the local communities affected by flood with relief materials to ease their sufferings,’’ he added.

Idris also said that the state had put in place measures to prevent flooding in the riverine areas of the state including Yauri, Argungu, and Birni Kebbi among others.

He further stated that farmers in the concerned areas had been cautioned to minimize their risk exposure.

The Niger State Government through the State Emergency Management Agency has sensitised residents of Kontagora Local Government Area and its environs listed as flood-prone areas.

The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Mallam Garba Salisu, said the agency has mobilised men and equipment to 14 areas and communities prone to flooding, including riverine settlements.

According to him, a major challenge in relocating the affected areas is that they are agrarian communities.

Meanwhile, the Senate has urged the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to revisit the proposed construction of the Dasin Hausa Dam to take in the flood waters from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

The Senate resolution Wednesday was sequel to the adoption of a motion on ‘Urgent Need to Intervene in the Flooding Issues in Sagamu, Ijebu areas of Ogun-East and Edu, Patigi areas of Kwara- Noth and other parts of the country’ sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East) and Senator Umar Sadiq Suleiman (Kwara North).

Daniel in his lead debate said that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had forecast that the level of rainfall in 2023 would surpass that of 2022.

According to him, the 2023 annual flood outlook prepared by Nigeria Hydrological Services showed that 178 Local Government Areas in 32 states and the FCT fell within the highly probable flood-risk areas.

He said Lagos, Ogun, and Kwara states, in particular, would witness coastal flooding due to the tidal lock of Ogun River by Lagos Lagoon from a natural rise in sea level, coupled with the possible release of excessive water from the Oyan dam.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday in Abuja, assured the Jigawa State Government that the Tinubu-led administration would help to lessen the devastating flooding incidents the state suffered in the last rainy season.

“I want to convey to you the message from President Bola Tinubu that the challenges of the place will be adequately captured in the next budget”, Shettima told a delegation of the Hadeija Emirate Council led by its Emir and Chairman of Jigawa State Traditional Council, Adamu Maje, who paid him a courtesy visit at the State House, Abuja.

The State House Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday titled ‘Vice President Shettima restates the importance of peace for national development.’

Shettima’s words come six months after former President Muhammadu Buhari promised to provide more relief items to victims of flooding in the state.

Buhari had, in late January, taken an aerial view of some of the roads, infrastructure, bridges and places affected by the flood disaster in September 2022, which affected many parts of Jigawa State.

They include Auyo through Kafin Hausa and some parts of Miga, Jahun, Kiyawa, Dutse, and Birnin Kudu Local Government areas.

In a related development, the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mustapha Habib Ahmed today visited the Chief of Air Staff at the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) Headquarters Abuja in a move to strengthen existing partnership between the Agency and Air Force in the areas of disaster management, including 2023 flood.

The Director General and members of his team were received at the NAF headquarters by the Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar along with some his management team.

In his remark, the DG NEMA said it has become necessary to strengthen the existing relationship between NEMA and NAF, especially in view of increasing occurrence of disasters including the forecast of flood that may affect some parts of the country this year.

He said “with the current growing rate of occurrence and increasing level of severity of disasters in Nigeria and across the world, it has become necessary for NEMA to strengthen its partnership with the Nigerian Air Force to save lives in times of emergency and to promote Disaster Risk Reduction.”

He reviewed the present situation of the rain season and noted that it has started to confirm the predicted flood, which has started to wreak havoc in some states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Therefore, he said “the time has come when NEMA will require the support of the Nigerian Air Force in the areas of search and rescue and transportation of personnel, equipment and other life-saving relief items.”

Reaffirming confidence in the existing partnership between the two organizations, the Director General NEMA said “NEMA and the Nigerian Air Force have conducted series of real life simulation exercises to test the level of preparedness of emergency responders and develop common language of communication to foster a better understanding of life saving roles and responsibilities of frontline actors in times of emergency.”

He restated that NEMA will always count on the support of the Nigerian Air force as a critical partner especially in the areas of search and rescue operation, medical evacuation and the air drop of relief materials to inaccessible locations during sudden onset disasters and emergencies.

Responding, the Chief of Airforce Air Vice Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar assured that the Nigerian Air force will continue to discharge its responsibilities in the areas of providing supports to civil authorities whenever is required.

He recalled the participation of NEMA and the Nigerian Air force in some of past joint simulation training exercises on emergency response and announced that NAF will avail its 22 Disaster Response Units located across the country for deployment to support disaster management activities of NEMA in furtherance to the existing collaboration between the two organizations.

He therefore, assured the sustenance and further strengthening of the existing partnership between the Nigerian Air force and NEMA.

The Director General NEMA was joined on the visit to the NAF headquarters by the Director Relief and Rehabilitation Alhassan Nuhu, Director Disaster Risk Reduction Daniel Obot, Special Assistant to the DG Idris Abubakar Mohammed and Deputy Director Operations Bashir Idris Garba.