The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA), Mohammed Sani Sidi, has warned that the recent flooding that wreaked havoc across the country may likely occur again in more frontline states as the Camerounian government gets set to release water from its dams in the days ahead.
He warned Nigerians to take seriously the recent prediction by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency regarding excessive rainfall in the zone this year.
The NEMA DG gave the warning when he visited some areas that were affected by flood in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria.
He urges residents in various states and local government councils to prepare adequately against flood disasters during this year’s rainy season, advising those still living along flood prone areas and river banks to vacate such places in order not to be caught unawares.
While commiserating with the victims, Mr Sidi assured that NEMA in collaboration with Kaduna State Management Agency is making arrangement to provide them with temporary accommodation.
The flood overwhelmed about 10 Local Government Areas killing one person. The local governments affected are Kachia, Kaura, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Kauru, Kubau and Soba, Igabi, Chikun and Makarfi, affecting, over 2,000 houses and at least 30,000 people.
Channels Television’s crew that visited the areas gathered that residents of flood-prone areas, had been preparing for the rains. But others ruled out the possibility of the floods this year, since the rains were not heavy when they began.
Emergency officials say the Camerounian authorities had indicated that between now and November this year, there would be routine release of water from the dam, warning that all those living around River Benue in Garoua in Cameroun up to Nigeria must be at alert and be ready in case of possible flooding.
When the flood occurred, Governor Nasir El-Rufai visited some of the affected areas to see things for himself and blamed it on human error.
Presently, about four states – Kaduna, Jigawa, Adamawa – have witnessed heavy flood as predicted by NIMET.
While the victims continue to count their loses, it is hoped that emergency officials will move into action to provide them with some kind of succour pending when the floods will dry up.
