State governments have directed residents living around flood plains and erosion spots to vacate these danger zones before it is too late.
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.
In a statement on Wednesday, the National Emergency Management Agency warned that 14 states and 31 communities might witness heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding from July 4 to July 8.
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.
The communities are 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 include 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.
Farinloye thanked the Flood Early Warning System Central Hub of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, for sharing the information.
However, the impact of the flooding is already being felt as a one-year-old boy drowned in a downpour in Katsina on Tuesday night.
The rain began a few minutes before 4 pm and ended shortly after 10pm.
The Executive Secretary for the State Emergency Management Agency, Hajiya Binta Dangani, confirmed the incident on Wednesday.
She explained that the deceased’s mother was carrying him on her shoulder when he slipped from her hands 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.
“So, this morning, (Wednesday), I was at the house to commiserate with the family and also to sensitize residents about the need to be careful since we are already in the rainy season.
“I also counselled residents, especially those who have houses close to rivers or streams to always stay off the streams or rivers whenever it rains. Our sensitization of residents on the havoc of flood will continue.”
The Tuesday downpour in Katsina disrupted business activities in the state capital, especially at Kofar Kaoran Quarters where the newly constructed underpass and the surrounding offices and houses were submerged by flood.
The development led to disruption in both human and vehicular movements throughout the night.
With the onset of rains, Katsina Sokoto and Kwara State are appealing to residents to leave flood zones and clear blocked drainages.
The Katsina SEMA boss, Dangani, disclosed to our correspondent that the state would evacuate those still living along flood plains, adding that the state would not create any Internally Displaced Persons Camp.
She stated, “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.
“I led a team this morning( Wednesday ) on a house-to-house sensitization exercise in Katsina for residents who live by the riverside and flood-prone areas. We were at the house of a woman who lost her one-year-old baby to a flood on Tuesday evening during a heavy downpour.
A staff member of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Abubakar, explained that the agency had already created awareness in some of the communities that might be affected by possible flooding.
Mustapha noted 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.
He said,” 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 was not taking things lying low as it was said to have commenced the clearing and desilting of waterways.
The communities are 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 include 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.
Farinloye thanked the Flood Early Warning System Central Hub of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, for sharing the information.
However, the impact of the flooding is already being felt as a one-year-old boy drowned in a downpour in Katsina on Tuesday night.
The rain began a few minutes before 4 pm and ended shortly after 10pm.
The Executive Secretary for the State Emergency Management Agency, Hajiya Binta Dangani, confirmed the incident on Wednesday.
She explained that the deceased’s mother was carrying him on her shoulder when he slipped from her hands 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.
“So, this morning, (Wednesday), I was at the house to commiserate with the family and also to sensitize residents about the need to be careful since we are already in the rainy season.
“I also counselled residents, especially those who have houses close to rivers or streams to always stay off the streams or rivers whenever it rains. Our sensitization of residents on the havoc of flood will continue.”
The Tuesday downpour in Katsina disrupted business activities in the state capital, especially at Kofar Kaoran Quarters where the newly constructed underpass and the surrounding offices and houses were submerged by flood.
The development led to disruption in both human and vehicular movements throughout the night.
With the onset of rains, Katsina Sokoto and Kwara State are appealing to residents to leave flood zones and clear blocked drainages.
The Katsina SEMA boss, Dangani, disclosed to our correspondent that the state would evacuate those still living along flood plains, adding that the state would not create any Internally Displaced Persons Camp.
She stated, “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.
“I led a team this morning( Wednesday ) on a house-to-house sensitization exercise in Katsina for residents who live by the riverside and flood-prone areas. We were at the house of a woman who lost her one-year-old baby to a flood on Tuesday evening during a heavy downpour.
A staff member of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Abubakar, explained that the agency had already created awareness in some of the communities that might be affected by possible flooding.
Mustapha noted 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.
He said,” 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 was not taking things lying low as it was said to have 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.
He said, “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.
“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.”
On the engagement with residents living in flood-prone areas, Ajakaye noted, “Of course, we cannot get tired of engaging with residents of flood-prone areas and those living along the banks of River Niger on the danger of staying put.”
A former resident of the Taiwo Isale area and flood victim, Alhaji Salawu Adisa said he had moved out of his house which was affected by the flooding from the Asa river.
“We have packed out of our house in the Taiwo Isale area since March this year following the state government’s directive. Many residents of the area have moved out. I have moved to the Oshin area in the outskirts of Ilorin with my family,’’ he explained, adding that no compensation was given to the flood victims by the state.
Also, the authorities in Delta State have urged residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer grounds and enjoined farmers to embark on early harvest to reduce losses.
Source:Punch
