By Our Correspondent
The Red Cross Society (RCS), in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at weekend, distributed relief materials to over 300 victims of the 2022 flooding incident in Oyo State.
NatureNews recall that in 2022, flood ravaged Egbeda and Ibadan South-East Local Government Areas of Oyo State, destroyed peoples properties and displaced many people.
Each of the beneficiaries receieved a credit card worth N90,000 covering over three months. The RCS also distributed food items to each household victim. The item include 12kg of beans, 25kg of rice, 5 litres of vegetable oil and five litres of palm oil.
Speaking during the event, the National President of RCS in Nigeria, Prince Oluyemi Adeaga, called on the three tiers of government in the contry to intensify training in first-aid and rescue operation to ensure prompt and effective responses to disasters emphasizing on the need for resident training in emergency management.
He made the call on Saturday shortly before the commencement of distribution of relef materials to the 2022 flood victims in Oyo State.
Adeaga acknowledged government’s response to disasters, he said there is need for improvemnet on the side of workers of the National Emergency Management Authority to do more.
”The government is doing a lot, but people need those around them to respond promtly and professionally when disaster occur,” he said.
During the relief material distribution event, the Project Coordinator, ECOWAS, Dauda Mohammed, reiterated the organisations’ commitment to improving and protecting the lives of the common people.
Muhammed said ECOWAS selected 3,500 vulnerable households for relief materials across Adamawa, Anambra, Kebi, Rivers, Kogi and Oyo State. He added that more initiatives would be implemented by the body.
Recalled that the Federal Governmentt through the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation had earlier warned that 148 local government areas across the country are highly probable flood risk areas this 2024.
Prof. Utsev identified states with probable risk as Adamawa, Anmbra, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina.
Others listed by the minister includes Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe State.
Utsev also said the high-flood risk period spans from April to November 2024. He added that this period has potential impacts on population, agriculture, livelihoods, livestock, infrastructure and the environment. He urged people in the listed states to prepare well for the 2024 rain.
