Reps Call For Funds To Assist States Affected By Flood

The House of Representatives has called on the executive to make urgent special releases from the ecological funds to Osun and other states to help assist them tackle effects of seasonal problems.

This is in a bid to address the alarming devastation caused by flood in Nigeria as a whole.

The motion, raised by Honourable Mojeed Alabi drew the attention of members to the challenges some of the states are facing economically, which is also making it difficult for them to find lasting solutions to the floods.

He expressed concerns that the economic challenges facing the nation would not allow states affected by flood to solely bear the cost of funding flood control and management measures without intervention of the Federal Government and other donor agencies.

“The House is concerned that the sources of livelihood of the victims of the recent flooding in Osun and other affected states have been terribly paralysed, necessitating immediate intervention by way of emergency financial and material reliefs to cushion the effect of recent floodings,” he told the House.

The lawmaker also asked the executive to put in place enduring infrastructures that would contain the anticipated massive flooding, as indicated by early warning notices.

The motion was passed unanimously and three committees of the House have been mandated to meet with the Ministry of Environment and other relevant government agencies to ensure prompt execution of flood control projects in the 2016 budget.

Agency Predicts Flooding

In July, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency predicted flash flood in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Makurdi and Yola.

Speaking at the unveiling of the 2016 annual flood outlook, the Director General of the agency, Dr Moses Beckley urged state governments to put in place artificial reservoirs to check the flow of the flood.

Despite this early warning, the floods came and ravaged communities, claiming lives and destroying property.

Nigeria has experienced its fair share of flooding over the years and its attendant consequences.

In 2012, Nigeria witnessed what has been described as the most devastating flood in its history.