By Stephen Adeleye.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged communities in flood-prone areas to immediately relocate to highland as Benue and Niger rivers approached danger thresholds.
The Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, gave the advice on Thursday when he led the “NOA Flood Sensitisation and Evaluation Team” to sensitise some reverine communities in Kogi State.
The water level of Benue and Niger rivers had risen to about 9.2 meters on September 25, compared to the usual level of about five meters, according to Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
The NOA DG said the release of water from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam could cause a significant flooding and environmental damage in Nigeria especially in 11 States as predicted by the National Hydrological Information Service (NIHSA).
Issa-Onilu, who was represented by the NOA Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Abuja, Mall. Nuru Kobi, stressed that the flood disaster was imminent, and urged people in riverine communities to seek shelter in a safer place immediately.
At Edeha Community in Koton-Karfe/Kogi Local Government Area, the DG said that NOA was alerting the populace especially the frontline States, which include Kogi. Adamawa, Nassarawa, Taraba, Benue, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Balyesa and Rivers States.
He noted that NOA had constituted a Flood Sensitisation and Evaluation team, who were going round the 11 States along the river Benue basin to sensitise the communities to move to highlands.
“We have opened all our channels of communication on flood alert in NOA to kick-start sensitisation.
“NOA has already mobilised all our officers in those 11 States go round and sensitise all the communities to be impacted negatively by the release of the Camaroon’s Lagdo Dam.
“Like in Kogi, we have five local government areas that will be affected which includes Lokoja, Kogi, Omala, Ajaokuta, Idah and Ibaji.
“What we are doing now is called ‘Risk communication’, to evaluate the risk and then advise them accordingly.
“So, we are visiting communities, markets, religious centres and traditional leaders, to sensitise the people especially in the flood prone areas to move to upland,” he said.
He noted that over 600 lives were lost and about 10,000 houses submerged during the 2022 flood disaster, stressing that the federal government is taking proactive measures to mitigate flood disaster Incase of eventuality in 2024.
The NOA DG commended Kogi Government for putting proactive measures in place that would mitigate the devastating flood effects in the flood -prone areas.
He added: “We are happy seeing what the Kogi State Government has been put in place, such as the establishment of IDP camps among others. We hope that other States will emulate Kogi”.
The State Director of NOA, Mr Abdulganiyu Dare, said the agency has been collaborating with the Kogi government and other relevant agencies to ensure that residents of riverine communities were adequately sensitised.
“As agency with the mandate to enlightened the public about the programmes, policies and activities of government, we have been working harmoniously with SEMA and other relevant to ensure adequate sensitisation,” Dare said.
The Executive Secretary, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Muktar Atimah, said the State Governor, Alh. Ahmed Ododo, has given the agency the marching order to do everything humanly possible to bring flood disaster to the barest minimal level.
Atimah disclosed that the government had set up 42 internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps across eight flood-prone local government areas of the state.
He, however disclosed that Ibaji which is the nineth LGA, has almost been submerged by flood.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on State Emergency Management (SEMA), Sandra Musa, said the State Government has been collaborating with the Nigerian Navy, the NEMA to monitor the water level on daily basis.
“As of today, the water level of Benue and Niger rivers has risen to about 9.2 meters compared to the usual level of about five meters,”: she said.
She, therefore advised the people in the flood prone areas to immediately evacuate to save their lives and valuables.
Speaking on behalf of Edeha community, the traditional ruler, Alhaji Abdullahi Isah, commended NOA for coming to sensitise their people.
He, however appealed to both federal and state governments through their relevant agencies to construct permanent structures with basic facilities as IDPs, instead of using schools that lack the required minimum facilities.
“As I am talking to you now, our community has been submerged including my own house, so we have no choice than to relocate to a safer place.
“But we are appealing to government at all levels to construct permanent structures as IDPs instead of using schools which lack basic facilities and cannot even accommodate all of us”, Isah said.
NAN reports that the NOA sensitisation and evaluation team also paid an advocacy visit to the palace of the Maigari of Lokoja, Alh. Ibrahim Gambo, who commended the agency for the initiative, and assured them of support and cooperation.
The team also visited riverine Kabawa community in Lokoja, Edeha community in Koton-Karfe/Kogi and 500 Housing Estate in Ajaokuta.
