Flooding: Relocate to higher ground now, Kogi govt warns residents

In a bid to prevent casualties from flooding across the 21 Local Government of the state, the Kogi State Government has warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse, urging residents to relocate to higher ground in flood-prone areas.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in May warned that 27 states together with 121 local government areas will experience high-risk flooding during this year’s rainy season.

The states include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara and Lagos.

Other highly probable states of the impending floods are Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara.

He called on the people of the Sarki Noma community to maintain some level of personal hygiene and sanitised environment.

Speaking on Friday when he visited Sakin Noma a suburb area in Lokoja, the Kogi State Commissioner for Environmental Hon. Victor Adewale Omofaiye urged residents in flood-prone areas to relocate, stressing that there is a high level of destruction caused by indiscriminate dumping of waste in the drainages.

He noted that in as much as the people would not desist from dumping refuse on waterways the possibility of mitigating the effect of flooding will be reduced stressing that they are in the community to sensitise the people and create awareness for them to get themselves prepared for the upcoming flood

According to him, going by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) prediction, Kogi will be experiencing flooding.

He, however, restated the Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State commitment to tackling environmental issues in the State.

Earlier, the leader of the Sarki Noma community showed the Hon. Commissioner and his team round the area expressed dissatisfaction over the position of the river in sarki Noma which according to him always overflow during the flood and consequently destroying houses and other valuable properties.

The general manager, Kogi state Sanitation and Waste Management Board Mallam Abdulganiu Sanni had advice that every household should have a waste bin stressing that this would go a long way to reduce the menace of dumping of refuse.

In his remarks, the Executive Director Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, (KOSEMA) commended the Sarki Noma community for their collective effort in tackling the flood issue, urging them not to relent in their efforts and that government is prepared to plan their own part.

Also speaking, Mrs Dorcas Enehe the Director of Climate change who declared the 2021 NIMET prediction about the flood confirmed that sensitisation of the flood-prone areas is ongoing in the state.

(Tribune)