Ibaji Flood Plains Multipurpose Cooperative Society (IFPMPCS) has called on the Kogi state government to urgently intervene as flood has submerged over sixty communities in ibaji local government area and some parts of the state.
Of the nine local government areas frequently affected by devastating flood menace in Kogi state, Ibaji is always the worst hit as almost all communities in the local government area are displaced with attendant massive loss of properties and source of livelihood.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Wednesday, the chairperson of the Executive Committee of the group, Professor Joy Ede Ukoje pointed out that the Ibaji Flood Plains Multipurpose Cooperative Society was established two years ago following the devastating floods in Ibaji and surrounding areas.
She stressed the need for immediate action, including the creation of a disaster relief fund to support disaster stricken communities.
Professor Ukoje also said that the Cooperative Society should be engaged and included as part of the disaster response committee set up by the state government to handle the flood issues in Ibaji local government.
The Cooperative Society has been providing cash assistance to hundreds of women farmers in Ibaji Flood Plains and environs following the devastating floods in 2022.
According to her, the present situation in Ibaji and other communities along the River Niger had gone beyond what the state alone could handle effectively. She urged the state and federal governments to assess the structural safety of dams across the country, evaluate their impact on local communities and develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate flood risks.
She called on N-HYPPADEC to fast track the development of Community Shelters in Ibaji communities, in collaboration with the Cooperative Society.
She also urged N-HYPPADEC to engage Ibaji Flood Plains MPCS in the distribution of relief supplies to communities in Ibaji Local Government Area and environs, based on the transparent records and data base of the Cooperative Society.
The Ibaji Flood Plains MPCS appreciated the effort of government but pleaded that the state, federal government, corporate and international organizations and individuals to come to the aid of Ibaji people, adding that a separate committee be tasked with creating a disaster relief fund.
