Augustine Aminu, Fatima Saka, Hauwa Ali, and Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, March, unveiled the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook, which indicated that high flooding will hit 233 Local Government Areas in 32 States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The minister said the general outlook of 2022 Annual Flood Outlook, AFO, shows that 233 local government Areas in 32 States of the Federation and FCT fall within the Highly Probable flood risk Areas, while 212 Local Government Areas in 35 States of the Federation including FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk areas.
The Executive Secretary, Kano State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Comrade (Dr) Saleh Aliyu Jili, Garkuwan Rimin Gado has confirmed the destruction of no fewer than 4,000 houses in the State since the start of the rain in June.
According to him, places affected include doguwa, Rano, Kibiya, Kiru, and Danbatta where over 3500 persons have been displaced with 3 deaths recorded while others sustained various degrees of injury.
Jill while speaking with NatureNews on Sunday blamed the incident on what he called ‘failure to adhere to environmental’ warnings by experts before the commencement of this rainy season.
He said, “People have been warned before now to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways but it has become a difficult thing to control in Kano”.
“Habits such as dumping of refuse on waterways, building on waterways and lack of dredging of congested drainages are the major factors responsible for these incidences”.
“Residential buildings, schools Churches, and other buildings used for other purposes were affected so far”, he explained.
Aliyu further explained that people in the metropolitan area of the state are mostly guilty of indiscriminate refuse dumping on waterways while those in the villages and far local governments are guilty of random building without providing drainages.
He said, his agency is awaiting reports from the 44 local government areas of the state over the Saturday night/Sunday morning rain to ascertain leaves of destruction recorded if any.
Saleh called on the people of the state to adopt good environmental habits that would ensure their safety and shun any unscrupulous behavior that could lead to environmental disasters such as flooding, erosion, etc.
However, he noted that most of the displaced persons have been provided shelter by the Agency, family members, and friends before they put back their lives together.
In Lokoja the Kogi state capital, the River Niger was yet to overflow its a bank, though the water level has reached an alarming level.
All the other areas like parts of Ajaokuta, Bassa, and Omala Ofu, that are usually flooded every year are yet to experience flooding.
The water level in Ejuleogebe in Ibaji LGA is already experiencing a high volume of water as a result of the recent downpour in the State.
The people living in Serikin Noma in Lokoja local government area, are also experiencing difficulty in assessing their homes as a result of the overflow from the River Niger.
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Sirkin Noma is a settlement around the banks of river Niger.
All relevant authorities in the state, including the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), have been calling on those living in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher planes to minimize human and material casualties.
Ibeju-lekki area of Lagos was not speared as the recent flood has dealt with residents in Oribanwa. Most of the streets are flooded with the rain that fell all through Friday to Sunday.
Residents whose Varanda was flooded described her ordeal.
“Since this rainy season, we have not been able to use carpet or rug in my house because water is coming from under the ground. And if u look very well, you’d notice the house is even sinking. That’s how I and my children suffer the cold because we cannot even put carpet to make the room warm.” Bisola Akande, a resident of Oribanwa phase 1 said.
The unfortunate thing is, that this situation is the same in other areas on the Lekki-Ajah axis because of the lack of a proper drainage system.
Because of the water-logged nature of the axis, the flood takes weeks to dry up and when it does, it leaves the whole place muddy and messy.
Attempts to reach the commissioner for the environment to get the government’s attention to the situation were stalled because he was not taking his calls.
In Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, some residents living at the popular Peter Odili axis have complained about the continuous flooding occurring in the area.
This complaint was made after the heavy downpour on Sunday in Port Harcourt.
In a telephone interview with a resident, Peter Odi lamented how drainage systems are being provided but the flood keeps occurring.
He urged the state government to improve on sanitation exercises in Port Harcourt so that people around the environment can engage in cleaning gutters, thereby creating channels for water to flow through.
In Dutse Makaranta, activities came to a halt as flood took over most of the houses as a result of the heavy down pure and the opening of the lower is a dam to reduce the level of the water from the dam which is done from time to time.
Many residents became homeless as many houses were either brought down or flooded by the waters.
Lately, a high rate of flooding has been recorded across the country, places like Lagos, Kano, and others which have endangered a lot of lives and even rendered some homeless.
Speaking with NatureNews on Sunday, March Mr. Manzo Ezekiel, Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) F.C.T-Abuja, said for these issues of flooding to be addressed a lot of strategies need to be put in place, by awareness creation through media and advocacy for people to be enlightened and sensitize.
According to the Spokesperson of (NEMA)In Abuja Gwagwalada, Giri, Kubwa, and Lokogoma are prone to flooding; these are the areas that are likely to be affected by the flood if preventive measures are not put in place.
Going further, he said the menace that is causing flooding in Abuja is the problem of drainage blockage and that is the root cause of flooding in Abuja, he said that there are agencies in charge of drainage. Also points to how houses are being developed, and that the construction has blocked the waterways.
Calling on the people that are living in those swampy areas to move before the heavy rain starts and likewise, the authorities in charge should arise and do their job by clearing the drainage.
