The Federal Government issued a warning to states on Tuesday to prevent a repeat of the flooding-related deaths that occurred in 2022, when over 600 people died and billions of naira’s worth of property were destroyed in several states.
At a gathering in Abuja, the Ekiti State Government said that it was ready for the impending heavy flood crisis that had been earlier predicted by two federal weather and climate organizations.
The governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, who made the announcement at NEMA’s headquarters, also pleaded with the federal government to assist his state, noting that the rainy season this year will be prolonged.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, as well as the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, which are both agencies of the Federal Government, had predicted that this year would witness heavy floods, based on their scientific findings.
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“We have received the NiMet forecast for this year. We have noted that the rainy season this year will be longer and that states have to be proactive to mitigate the effects of flooding and other natural disasters.
“As a state, we commenced early preparations towards that. In areas that are prone to flooding, we’ve commenced dredging on our own, and we’ve started to alert the people to be prepared.
“We are also partnering with the Local Governments to ensure that we reduce the effect of floods. But you can do more if you have the support of an agency like NEMA. That is why I’ve come here, for we need NEMA to focus more on Ekiti, with respect to its intervention for our people,” Oyebanji stated.
Responding to the request of the governor, the Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, said Ekiti State should establish a Local Emergency Management Committee, and warned state governments to prevent a repeat of the havoc caused by floods in 2022.
“I’ll advise that you set up a Local Emergency Management Committee immediately. Let us come there when you are going to inaugurate them. Every disaster is local. It starts from a community, which is within a Local Government and state.”
Story adapted from Punch
