Kogi State Government has called on people to make themselves available as volunteers and be of help to those that may be affected if the 2013 predicted flood becomes a reality.
This is coming ahead of plans to release water from Jebba and Kainji Dam which will possibly lead to flooding of Kogi State,
In a message by Yomi Awoniyi, State Deputy Governor at a one day training/awareness raising program for grassroots emergency volunteer corps in Lokoja organized by the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Conjunction with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), he described volunteerism as an integral part of disaster management globally.
He said the training program was aimed at equipping volunteers in carrying out the enormous task of saving lives.
The State Deputy Governor who was represented by Air Vice Marshal Gabriel Abdul (rtd), Special Adviser Emergency Management to Kogi State Governor, said the fervent prayers of people in the state can help avert the impeding the flood, even though adequate preparation to mitigate the impeding flood by the State he disclosed has been put in place.
He called on those living in flood prone areas to be at alert in this month of September, assured that the state was equally vigilant and monitoring events regarding the impeding flood as against the 2013 prediction.
In his key note address, Ishaya Isah Chonoko, Coordinator,Abuja operations office of NEMA, said the forum was organized to ensure that the destruction of flood if it occurs is reduced to the barest minimum so that the energy saved can be channelled towards other areas of human endeavours.
Also speaking, Alice Ogedengbe, Acting Secretary in charge of SEMA called on farmers in flood prone areas to begin the early harvest of their crops and move up land as a safety measure to saving life, properties and crops.
