The Kogi State government has appealed to the federal government and other stakeholders to salvage the state from the current flood disaster ravaging it.
Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Sanusi Yahaya, made the call at the weekend after an inspection tour of some submerged communities in Lokoja.
The commissioner said the continuous rise in water level of the two major rivers (Niger and Benue) in the confluence state, necessitated the appeal to the federal government, saying the havoc was beyond what the state could handle.
He said several communities in nine flood-prone local government areas, namely, Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Kogi/Kotonkarfe, Bassa, Omala, Ofu, Igalamela, Idah and Ibaji, were currently experiencing flooding.
He said the residents of these communities at the river banks had been advised to seek alternative accommodation, especially those in rented apartments.
‘‘We are already overwhelmed as a state; we need the support of the federal government.
‘‘We need federal government’s intervention, particularly through NEMA and other agencies in collaboration with the state; it is beyond the state’s capacity,’’ he said.
Credit: Daily Trust
