The Nation Newspaper

Tag: flood

  • Erosion, Flood Control: EFO laments paucity of funds

    The Ecological Fund Office (EFO) at the Presidency has complained of paucity of funds to address environmental challenges confronting the country.

    It said the Office received about 1.1 trillion requests from states, specifically for soil erosion and flood control, which did not include drought, desertification and coastal zone management, nor does it include pollution control.

    EFO Permanent Secretary, Dr. Habiba Lawal disclosed this in Abuja during an interactive session with reporters.

    Lawal, who called for the timely release of ecological funds by the Federal Government, urged states and local governments to apply their shares, rather than rely on the Federal Government.

    Lawal added that since 2015, no fund has been set aside for ecological programmes. She regrets that in this administration, no approval has been granted from the fund. “The greatest challenge we are facing is the dearth of funds. The country is faced with a lot of ecological issues with meagre funds to tackle them. Regrettably, what we noticed is that while one is being solved, another one is being created,” she explained.

    On projects completion and inauguration, Lawal revealed that outstanding completed projects would be inauguration in few weeks and handed-over to the various benefiting communities. She said the projects implemented since commencement of this administration would be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    “Since the inception of this administration in May 2015, 88 projects were warded, 45 have been completed and 43 are still on-going. About 90 per cent are on soil erosion,” Lawal said. She however warned that if the entire problem were left to the Federal Government alone, less impact would be recorded.

  • Flood sacks four Bayelsa communities

    Flood sacks four Bayelsa communities

    Four communities of Anyiama Clan in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State have been dis- placed by flood. They are taking refuge in neighbouring communities. MIKE ODIEGWU reports that efforts are being made to rehabilitate them

    Ordinarily, the meeting between the Paramount Ruler of Ogbia Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Dumaro Charles-Owaba and the President, Azikel Group of Companies, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, an industrialist, would have been a happy one. But both of them wore grim faces.

    They were all worried about the flood that ravaged four communities in their kingdom.

    They were not happy that flood had taken over four big communities in Anyiama Clan of Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The river surrounding the communities seemingly was angry and overflowed its banks, emptying its contents into the communities’ farms, homes and stalls.

    Not only did the flood sack Emadike, Epebu, Ologoghe and Otuobhi, communities, it also destroyed their properties worth millions of Naira.

    The flood submerged household items and forced most people to relocate from their ancestral homes. Some elders who refused to relocate, were seen sitting helplessly in the pool of water.

    Disturbed by the natural menace, the industrialist,  Eruani, who controls multi-billion naira investments in Bayelsa, some of which include a refinery project, paid an unscheduled visit to the Ogbia king.  Eruani called for collaboration between the government and the private sector to address the perennial flooding of the area.

    He observed that if nothing urgent was done to address the situation; members of the affected communities could be permanently displaced . Eruani, who was in the company of other officials of his company and residents, insisted that the flood would continue unless the government partnered the private sector to embark on massive land reclamation, sand filling, embankment and other strategic initiatives to prevent a reoccurrence of the natural disaster.

    Eruani lamented that the communities had suffered hardship because their property and means of livelihood were destroyed; forcing them to flee their homes to other communities. He maintained that the antidote to flooding was reclamation of land and massive sand filling to regenerate land and save the affected communities from going into extinction.

    Eruani said: “It’s regrettable that flood has continued to wreak havoc in Anyiama Clan, and government at all levels must act fast to save the situation. I know that the solution to flooding is massive reclamation and sand filling of the affected areas.

    ‘’The process of resettling the communities cannot be handled by any single individual. We will do our best to address the problem. I wish to call on the monarch to use his good offices as the overall king of the area to draw the attention of government at all levels to the plight of Ogbia people.

    “My strength will not be enough. That’s why I have come to tell the Obanobhan to inform the government at the state and national levels of the humanitarian emergency in Anyiama Clan, particularly Emadike, Epebu, Ologoghe and Otuobhi communities of Ogbia LGA.’’

    The industrialist said with the huge success already recorded by Azikel Group in sand filling and reclamation of land in a bid to combat flood in Rivers State, the conglomerate was prepared to re-enact the feat in Bayelsa State and other affected states.

    Responding, King Charles-Owaba said he was deeply touched by the plight of members of the displaced communities. The monarch assured the indigenes that his council of traditional rulers would make recommendations to the Presidency in order to address the ugly situation.

  • Friesland Campina WAMCO donates to Benue flood victims

    Friesland Campina WAMCO donates to Benue flood victims

    Staffers of Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, makers of Peak and Three Crowns milk, have raised funds to help 100 families and 100 school children affected by the recent flood disaster in Benue State.

    They donated cooking wares and back-to-school supplies to the victims. The donations were made in conjunction with the Benue State Chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross Society last week.

    Explaining the company’s philanthropic gesture, its Corporate Communication Manager, Nkechi Ejesi, said:“Social responsibility transcends momentary relief, and how the affected people will cope when they have returned to their homes is very important.

    Ejesi said members of staff of the dairy giant identified the need for school children, who were displaced by the flood, to settle-in quickly after resumption – hence the intervention with school supplies such as bags, sportswears and stationeries.

    Similarly, the company distributed cooking stoves to families, whose homes had been submerged in water and as a result of this, and who were left with little or nothing to survive with.

    This social investment is sequel to FrieslandCampina WAMCO’s initial donation of 1,500 cartons of Peak Evaporated Milk to the internally displaced persons in Benue State.

    The products were donated to flood victims through the Office of Social Investment for the Benue State government.

    “Prior to the disaster, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has maintained a long-standing  relationship with the state. It was made evident in our adoption of Government College Makurdi, year-round upkeep of a charity home and our partnership on the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, among other things”, said Ejesi.

  • Residents lament devastating effect of flood

    Residents lament devastating effect of flood

    •Respite begins tomorrow, says council boss

    Residents of Ashimowu Bakare and Owoseni streets in Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area have appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the local government to save them from incessant floods whenever it rains.

    The residents identified a blocked canal at the end of Owoseni Street as the cause of the problem.

    According to the Baba Oja of Araromi-Ikate, Alhaji Sulayman Salawudeen, many household items were destroyed by the flood.

    According to him, once the canal is cleared, the flood will subside.

    Alhaji Salawudeen called on the government to intervene.

    “Our children cannot go to school anytime the rain is heavy. Our beds and other household materials are always submerged in the flood. The suffering is too much for us to bear. We need urgent government intervention,” a resident Mallam Garuba Aliyu said.

    Aliyu praised the council boss for grading Ashamu Bakare road, but pleaded with him to clear the blocked canal.

    “The drainage is not good. It does not allow water to flow well. As you can see, a banana tree is growing in the canal. If they can help us to clear it, all the water coming back to haunt us will go to the other canal. This canal leads to Aguda,” he said.

    The residents, however, thanked the council Chairman, Ahmed Apatira, for grading Odubiyi and Ashimowu Bakare streets.

    The two areas, they said, are not motorable before the council’s intervention.

    Apatira promised to clear the canal to ensure free flow of water.

    He warned the residents to  against dumping refuse in the drainage.

    “They should realise that they are going to be the victims of the flood once the canal is blocked. The community leaders should prevent people from dumping refuse in the canal,” he said.

     

  • Flood destroys 2, 000 hectares of Kwara farmland

    Flood destroys 2, 000 hectares of Kwara farmland

    About 2, 000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed by water across the three districts of Patigi Local government area of Kwara.

    Special Adviser to Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed on Emergency and Relief Services, Alhaji Duro Mohammed, disclosed this while inspecting the havoc caused by flood in Patigi yesterday.

    He said rice farms in Lade, Patigi and Sepondi districts cultivated near the River Niger were mostly affected as well as a clinic, a cemetery and a primary school at Gbaradogi.

    Mohammed, who led the state government’s delegation to the flooded farms, described the damage as devastating.

    He called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state in ameliorating the suffering of the affected farmers.

    He said the magnitude of the disaster was too much for the state to bear alone.

    He also called for urgent dredging of River Niger and construction of a drain that would permanently secure the rice farms against flooding in the future.

    The Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, expressed concerns over the perennial flooding in the area.

    The monarch also suggested that dredging of River Niger and construction of drain would permanently safe the community from the disaster.

    Umar said the flood had increased poverty level in the community, noting that compensations were not enough in ameliorating the suffering of the people who are predominantly farmers.

  • Flood: Council desilts blocked drainage

    Flood: Council desilts blocked drainage

    Lagos Mainland Local Government has begun Operation free the Drainage.

    The council chairman Mrs Omolola Essien said the campaign was to prevent flood in the area.

    Some of the areas visited include Freeman, near Market Street, LSDPC Estate, Glover Street, Kano Street to Cemetery.

    Mrs Essien monitored the clearing of the blocked drainage.

    She directed the sanitation officers to ensure that the refuse cleared from the drainage were properly dispose of.

    She said: “Blocked drains are dangerous to our health. Aside causing avoidable flood, the smell that comes from it can potentially be harmful to our  health. I want to encourage the residents to ensure that they clear their drainage channels.”

    The council chief warned the residents to desist from patronising cart pushers.

    She said: “The Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), launched by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was to aid cleaner and safer environment. It ensures you give your wastes to prescribed waste collectors to avoid flood.

    “The cart pushers are not doing us any good. They keep dumping wastes in the canal and at the end of the day, those canals get blocked and we are the ones that suffer for it.”

    Mrs Essien appealed to the residents to prevent avoidable human and material losses by discouraging dumping of refuse in the drainage.

  • Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in Cross River

    Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in Cross River

    Twelve communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River have been flooded, following two days of heavy rain. More than 3,000 farmlands were destroyed.

    The incident, which occurred between September 18 and 19, rendered hundreds homeless, with property worth millions destroyed.

    Mr John Inaku, director general, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told NAN on Sunday, during an inspection that that more than 1,000 have been displaced and are taking refuge.

    According to him, the state has promised to address the plight of the people.

    NAN reports that some of the communities affected are Bago, Unu, Bagabo, Bakie, Bufua, and Kakwe-Beebo.

    “The deluge of Sept. 18 and 19 has caused massive flooding in 12 communities in Cross River.

    “Property worth millions of naira were destroyed in the process.

    “The flood also destroyed farmlands; banana, cassava, plantain, yam, cocoa and others were affected, with bridges washed away.

    “The worst aspect of the flood is that it also destroyed streams, which served as the only source of drinking water for the people, while the main access road was washed away as a result of landslide,’’ he said.

    One of the victims, Mr Bette Obi, chairman of Cross River Forestry Commission, told NAN that the flood wreaked serious havoc on residents.

    Obi, who said his cocoa and plantain farms were destroyed, appealed to the state and Federal Government to come to their aid.

    “As we speak, our farmlands have been washed away by flood. The streams where we fetch water for drinking has been polluted.

    “We need government’s assistance in our communities to ameliorate our plight,’’ Obi said.

    Another victim, Mr Gabriel Ofre, traditional ruler of Bago community, said that the flood displaced his household, and that his property and other vital materials also gone.

    Ofre appealed to SEMA and NEMA to come to their aid, saying that residents were peasant farmers, who lived on the meagre earnings from their farm produce.

  • Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in C/River

    Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in C/River

    Twelve communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River have been flooded following two days of heavy rain, while more than 3,000 farmlands were equally destroyed.

    The incident, which occurred between the late hours of Sept. 18 and the early hours of Sept. 19, has rendered hundreds of residents homeless as properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Mr John Inaku, the Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told NAN on Sunday, during an inspection of the affected areas that the economic survival of residents of the submerged communities had been seriously affected.

    Inaku stated that more than 1,000 people have been displaced and are taking refuge in nearby communities.

    According to him, the state government has promised to address the plight of the people.

    NAN reports that some of the communities affected are Bago, Unu, Bagabo, Bakie, Bufua, and Kakwe-Beebo.

    “The deluge of Sept. 18 and 19 has caused massive flooding in 12 communities in Cross River.

    “Properties worth millions of naira were equally destroyed in the process.

    “The flood also destroyed farmlands; crops such as banana, cassava, plantain, yam, cocoa and others were also affected while some bridges were washed away.

    “The worst aspect of the flood is that it also destroyed streams which served as the only source of drinking water for the people, while the main access road was washed away as a result of landslide,’’ he said.

    One of the victims, Mr Bette Obi, Chairman of Cross River Forestry Commission, told NAN that the flood had wreaked serious havoc on residents of the area.

    Obi, who said his cocoa and plantain farms were destroyed by the flood, appealed to the state and Federal Government to come to their aid.

    “As we speak, our farmlands have been washed away by flood. The streams where we fetch water for drinking has been polluted.

    “We urgently need government’s assistance in our communities to ameliorate our plights,’’ Obi said.

    Another victim, Mr Gabriel Ofre, traditional ruler of Bago community, said that the flood had displaced his entire household, and that his property and other vital materials destroyed as well.

    Ofre appealed to SEMA and NEMA to come to their aid, saying that residents of the area were peasant farmers, who lived on the meagre earnings from their farm produce.

  • Flood displaces over 10,000 in Kogi

    Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello said yesterday over 10,000 people had been displaced by flood.

    He spoke when he visited the affected areas, including Sarkin Numa and Ganaja villages.

    The governor also visited Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs’) camps.

    He said anytime it rained heavily, River Niger and Benue overflowed their banks and the effect was felt more by the indigenes.

    Bello said communities in Ibaji, Ajaokuta, IgalaMela/Odolu, Bassa, Koton-Karfi and Lokoja were also affected. He urged the Federal Government to assist the state.

    Said he: “Kogi is in need of humanitarian interventions.

    “Houses have been submerged by flood in Lokoja and Ibaji. The situation is pathetic. Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has been overstretched. The government is providing interventions within its financial capacity, but what it has done is inadequate.

    “Besides Nataco, Sarkin Numa, Ganaja and other areas in Lokoja where floods have taken over, residents of Ibaji communities have been displaced by water. They have been driven out of their homes and cannot even go to farms. Some are staying on top of trees.

    “There is need to relocate the victims to camps. We appeal to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to bail us out.”

  • Flood displaces 10,000 families in Kogi

    Flood displaces 10,000 families in Kogi

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on Tuesday said that no fewer than 10,000 families had been displaced by flooding in seven local government areas of the state.

    Bello, who spoke during a tour of flood ravaged areas of Lokoja, listed the affected local governments to include Lokoja, Ibaji, Igalamela -Odolu, Ajaokuta, Kogi and Bassa.

    He said that farmers were particularly hard hit as they lost their houses, farmlands and livestock to the floods.

    The governor said that many communities in the state were always at the receiving end anytime there was heavy downpour.

    According to him, this happens once the Rivers Niger and Benue overflow their banks, saying that many of the affected houses were located on river banks and flood plains.

    He said that the victims of the disaster had been moved to the IDPs in Lokoja and other parts of the state.

    The governor appealed to the Federal Government and corporate organisations to come quickly to the aid of the state.

    “The state is in dire need of humanitarian interventions,” he said.

    Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, said that the ministry had been stretched to the limit by the development.

    “The state government is providing immediate interventions within its financial capacity, but what government has been able to do is grossly inadequate.
    “Apart from Nataco, Sarkin Numa, Ganaja and other areas in Lokoja where floods have taken over communities, Ibaji communities are completely passing through the fury floods that have sacked people from their homes and farmlands.

    “Some people are climbing trees to survive.

    “There is an urgent need to relocate the affected people and settle them in camps. We call on the National Emergency Management Agency to quickly come to our aid,” she said.

    According to her, a situation room has been established to collate the realities on ground.

    “The situation is getting worse by the day. As the centre of the nation, a locked-in Kogi will affect the entire nation.

    “Roads have been taken over, people now sleep on the streets and nursing mothers are gory sights to behold. We call on federal agencies and the international community to quickly come to our aid,” the commissioner pleaded.

    She also reiterated the appeal that people still living in flooded homes should vacate them immediately, saying that it was unsafe to continue to sleep in flooded houses.