The Federal Ministry of Works will begin emergency work that will lead to the opening of the flooded Lokoja- Abuja highway.
This follows a directive by President Goodluck Jonathan to the Ministers of Works, Environment and Water resources to visit Kogi state and assess the impact of damage caused by flooding in the state.
The Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen gave the assurance of efforts to open up the highway, while the Environment Minister, Hadiza Mailafia, commended the state government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for efforts to reduce the effects of the flood.
Describing the flooding as a national disaster and a ‘force majure’, Mr Onolememen noted that the level of water seen in the past two weeks has not been seen in the last 100 years with a resultant increase of 2metres in the water level of the affected areas.
Receiving the delegation of Ministers, the Kogi State governor, Mr Idris Wada, lamented that the flooding is “drawing back the development of the state.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Environment, Hadiza Mailafia decried the settlement of people along the flood plains which she claimed were observed from aerial view. She enjoined state and local governments to desist from allowing people settle on flood plains.
Meanwhile the chairman of the House Committee on Climate Change has condemned the federal government’s handling of the flooding that has devastated several states in the country.
Mr. Eziuche Ubani said the nation needs to take concrete steps to address what is clearly an increasing manifestation of climate change.
He called for the setting up of a Climate Change Commission to coordinate government’s effort on the phenomenon.
The Senate President has also called for a collaborative effort by all government ministries and agencies, noting that apparent failure to tackling the flood has revealed the nation’s unpreparedness.
He also noted that “asking ministers to visit Kogi will not address the problem” he added in reference to an order from the President to some ministers to visit the state for an on the spot assessment of the flood disaster.
Meanwhile the Senate Committee on Environment visited Kogi state in the early hours of Tuesday to see things for themselves.
