Never in history has there been such great number of Internally Displaced People occasioned by natural disaster in Kogi State.
The flood which ravaged the country in 2012 no doubt, shifted attention on Kogi State. The total number of displaced persons housed in 87 camps across the state were 623,690 during the period.
Months after the flood,several clean up measures took place by the Kogi State government to put behind the gory episode of the flood.
With the level of damage and destruction caused by the flood in 2012, many still pray that there should never be a repeat of such destruction in the years to come as it would be another disaster that is one too many for the state.
In 2012, many roads in the state became flooded and thus, impassable. Many school buildings became refugee camps. Houses were submerged. Properties and infrastructures were badly affected. Farm lands, crops and animals were washed away.
That year’s damage which was estimated to run into billions of naira is one disaster that the people and the State Government would still struggle to come to terms with considering the monumental destruction it caused.
N753,092,704.00 was the total donations received by the state as a result of the 2012 flood with major donations of N500million, N150million,N50million and N10million,N10million coming from the Federal Government, Dangote, Jide Omokore, Alh Isa Kutepa and Kano State Government.
The Kogi State Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi who also doubled as Chairman State Emergency Management Agency worked tirelessly to ensure that the State was sensitive to the plight of those genuinely affected by flood victims.
Aside the disbursement of N139million to affected persons in the nine affected Local Government Areas, the State Government built a 272 post flood housing estate.
While winding up the camps in February 2013,the victims were later assisted with N50,000 and foodstuff each to enable them resettle in their new homes,a concern shown by government that was applicable to all people affected.
The state Government also renovated most Schools used by the flood victims as places of shelter by those displaced during the flood across the State at the cost of N81million.
Similarly all roads that were affected by the flood, was constructed at the cost of N423m.
Farm lands were badly affected by the 2012 flood. To this end a 6500 hectares rice plantation was established along the flood plains of affected LGA’s. This initiative was at a cost of N200m to the state with lots of youths and women gainfully employed, thus putting the state on the world map of rice production.
The produce of the 2013 harvest by the farmers was publicly and through a 60:40 ratio shared between the government and buyers. After the harvest, the state government out rightly bought off that belonging to the farmers and issued out cheques to them.
Also towards mitigating the impact caused by the flood on the people,the State Government spent monies in the areas of intervention in sectors to include; Education,Housing,Transport and Health. For instance, six of the Primary Schools that were used as relief camps were renovated at the cost of N81, 376,464.55.
The post flood Housing Estate in the first phase of 272 housing units of 1-bedroom and 2- bedroom cost the state government N504million.
Contracts for fixing badly affected roads was awarded at the cost of N423million.
The government, as part of a proactive measure, opened up alternative east and west route to avoid the sufferings encountered by commuters during the last flood.
The government’s effort in the area of dry season farming to make up for the huge farmland lost to flood in 2012 is also most commendable as over 6,500 hectares for cluster rice farmland under the Fadama programme an initiative cost the state government N200million. The programme was more like a recovery window
The donations received by the State in the cause of the flood was judiciously used for the purposes intended.
The process leading towards rehabilitation of people and places affected by the flood is an on going and a continuous exercise. Government effort after the flood no doubt assisted greatly in putting in place measures that helped those affected to get back on their feet.
