The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Floods

  • Floods: Death toll rises to 32 in Jigawa

    Eleven more people have been killed by flood in Jigawa State in the last one week.

    This figure brings to 32 the number of deaths  caused by  flooding in the state  over the last few weeks.

    Fourteen  local government areas of the state are affected by the disaster.

    Hundreds of more residents of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital ,have also been rendered homeless by flood.

    The situation is not better in Delta and Anambra States,both of which were visited on Thursday by Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo  to enable him personally assess the havoc done by the flood.

    Jigawa State Works and Transport Commissioner Aminu Usman confirmed the fresh deaths in the state.

    The commissioner who stood in for Governor  Badaru Abubakar  told reporters  after an  inspection visit to Auyo town and Internally Displaced Persons camp said :”11 people died between Tuesday and  Friday. In   Auyo town three people died while others were in Kaugama, Malam Madori and Kafinhausa local government.”

    Thousands of  people have been  displaced from their homes,he said.

    Livestock and other property,including  100 hectares of farmland, estimated at billions of naira were either washed away or submerged.

    The  state government has established 16 camps to accommodate flood victims across the state.

    Usman who doubles as  chairman of the emergency and relief committee said:”We have evacuated the victims and move them temporarily to some schools and other government buildings.

    “We have also provided food items, drinking water and   other relief materials to manage their lives before the next line of action.”

    The commissioner appealed to the federal government ,individuals , corporate organisations and professional bodies to assist the flood victims with foodstuffs and other relief materials.

    More residents of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital and other parts of the confluence state, have been forced out of their homes as rising water levels continue to encroach on residences.

    The situation  could worsen if water from the Lagdo Dam, in Cameron, is released.

    In Adankolo, residents whose homes have been submerged  by the flood, continue to move out in droves, while others yet to be affected, are not taking chances.

    Hundreds of residents of Ganaja village, in Ajaokuta Local Government Area are also facing a  similar ordeal.

    Shops and other commercial buildings are also  affected by the flood.

    The state government has   commenced the distribution of foodstuffs and other relief items to the flood victims in IDPs camps across the state.

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Sanusi Yahaya, told newsmen at the commencement  of the distribution in Lokoja, that the sharing  of foodstuffs was the first stage.

  • Floods kill 19 in Adamawa, Gombe

    Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) and the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have confirmed the death of 19 people in floods.

    Ten persons died in Adamawa and nine in Gombe.

    ADSEMA Executive Secretary Dr Muhammed Suleiman, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Yola, said hundreds of domestic animals, including cattle, were also lost to the flood.

    He said the deaths recorded were particularly from Yola South, Guyuk,  Lamurde and  Song  local government areas of the state.

    Gombe SEMA’s Deputy Director, Rescue and Rehabilitation Mrs Lamis Benjamin said four of the nine deaths were recorded in May following a downpour in Gombe town.

    She said the remaining five deaths were recorded in Cham community of Balanga Local Government Area of the state in August also after a downpour.

    The deputy director also said over 200 houses and numerous farm lands were washed away in Nyuwar, Jesu Cham in Balanga and Komta Ayaba in Biliri local government areas.

    In Cross River State  flood destroyed more than 175 houses, rendered at least 3,000 people homeless, according to Mr John Inaku, Director-General of State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA).

    The Rice Famers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Kano State was counting its losses yesterday. Flood has destroyed over 5,000 hectares of rice farm in some local government areas of the state.

    The RIFAN state chairman, Abubakar Aliyu, told reporters in Kano that the rice farms were affected in 10 local government areas of the state.

  • RAINS OF SORROW: Motorists face hard times as floods wash off bridges in Niger

    THE rainy season is often seen as a relief from heat and the dusty atmosphere that characterises the dry season. But too much of it can become a problem. It often results in flooding and rainstorm which in turn could wreak havocs like loss of lives, erosion and even collapsed buildings. For motorists in Niger State, the havoc has come in the form of collapsed bridges, which has literally turned life into a piece of hell.

    While the state has often been unfortunate in rainy seasons because of flooding, especially with the release of water from the various dams in the state, the disaster it is faced with this year has taken a different dimension. The floods appear to target the bridges that link its various communities such that the state had to admit this is the year it has recorded the highest number of collapsed bridges.

    At the last count, seven bridges linking prominent towns in the state have been washed off while there are unconfirmed reports of 10 others giving way to the hydrokinetic force. Numbered among them is the bridge in Dare Biyu village, which connects Mariga and Kontagora. Most motorists have had to resort to using another bridge on Kontagora -Tegina Road, but the difficulty faced by drivers on the road is now unbearable. While the bridge was a bit manageable in the past, it has not been able to stand the heavy downpour that the area has witnessed in the past three weeks. Its resultant collapse has left motorists and commuters stranded, causing travellers to trek for kilometres to get to the other side of the bridge and continue their journeys.

    Rafin Gora, another bridge on the Kontagora-Makera highway, is among the bridges recently washed away after two days of torrential rainfall. Only a small portion was opened at the side of the bridge, while the state government has banned heavy duty trucks from taking the route in order to avoid further deterioration in the road’s condition, while smaller vehicles are allowed to use the small portion.

    The Dangana Bridge, the only motorable road from Lapai to Gulu, Vatsa and Ebbo has also joined the queue of bridges washed off by flood. Since it is the only motorable route, cars and travellers have to cross the water with the aid of ferries in order to continue their journeys.

    Only recently, the state government had to move swiftly to repair the bridge linking Minna with Bida when it collapsed, because the road is one of the busiest in the state and the only one linking the north to the south. Although the road was closed down for a few days to effect repairs, it has now been opened as the bridge was repaired.

    Other bridges including the one on Kuta-Gwada Road in Shiroro Local Government Area, the bridge in Doba community in Lapai Local Government Area and the one along Kafinkoro/Adunu and Ishau in Paiko Local Government Area are not left out as they have also been washed away by flood. Concerns

    The washed off bridges have been a cause for concern not just among travellers but also farmers, since the state is mostly agrarian. Most of the farmers in the affected areas have not been able to take their produce to markets, while other travellers are either stranded or spend long hours on journeys that should take a short time to accomplish. Drivers have been forced to consider alternative routes which are usually longer because of the collapsed bridges.

    A commercial driver, Danladi Ndagi, who takes his passengers through the Dangana Bridge, lamented the inability of the state government to effect the repairs of the bridge to make the journey easier for people.

    Ndagi said: “Government is playing politics with the bridge, and the failure to complete it is causing untold hardship for the people. How can you be travelling and when you get to a section of the road, you have to come down to cross water in order to get to the other side to continue your journey? It is not reasonable. ”

    Another motorist, Adamu Lapai, said the government was being insensitive to the plight of the people using the road. “Government is extremely insensitive to the plight and the sufferings of the people. Now that elections are around the corner, they are pretending that they have resumed work on the bridge. It is unfortunate,” he said.

    Lapai, who spent more than four hours at the bridge, added: “There was no financial commitment on the side of government, and that was what made the work to stop, making those who use of the bridge to suffer on a daily basis.

    “Even though we heard that the state government has released N77 million for the completion of the bridge, they were doing it now to satisfy their selfish political goal. Otherwise, why delaying that bridge that linked us with other communities and Kogi State?”

    Community in pains

    The village head of Dangana community, Yanusa Abdullahi, said that motorists and commuters are passing through hell at the bridge.

    He said: “The people of my community and those who pass through the bridge are suffering a lot. Most of the time, they find it difficult to take their farm produce to nearby villages or town to sell due to the collapse of the bridge.”

    Abdullahi lamented that farmers in his community cannot go to the market to sell their farm produce as a result of the collapsed bridge in the area.

    He said: “Without the bridge, farmers cannot go to the market to sell their farm products. We are appealing to the state government to speed up the construction of the bridge to ameliorate the sufferings of the local farmers of Dangana.”

    He said the temporary diversion created by the construction company was not helping matters as vehicles continued to get stuck inside the river, just as he disclosed that the contractor assured them that work on the bridge would soon finish if adequate fund was provided.

    When contacted, the project Manager of Suject Company, Milad Jarbanda, said that work on the bridge would be completed soon. “We have started work already and government has fulfilled its financial commitment. We are on top of it. Very soon, motorists and commuters will have a cause to smile.”

    There is no doubting the fact that the collapsed bridges are causing the state government untold headache. The Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe, lamented that most of the washed away roads being experienced in the rainy season were federal roads, adding that efforts were being made to ensure that the damaged portions were fixed while efforts towards ensuring lasting solution were also being explored.

    Balarabe lamented that this year’s rainy season has been most challenging in the state as it poses a serious threat to roads in the state.

    However, the Federal Controller of Works in Niger State, Engineer Iheanacho Felix, said work would commence on the collapsed roads in the state as soon as the rains subside while he appealed for patience and support from the communities and government.

  • Floods of death

    •A more robust commitment to good urban and rural planning can reduce frequency and intensity of flooding

    In the last two weeks, parts of Katsina and Ogun states have been flooded. The inundation has led to eight deaths in Ogun and over 40 in Katsina, loss of houses and other property, and destruction of crops in both states. The Federal Ministry of the Environment had rushed many recommendations to the National Economic Council (NEC) which have been approved.

    Flooding happens in many countries, including advanced economies. But that flooding happens in Nigeria every year and around the same place and time suggests fundamental problems in urban and rural planning: poor land use and management across states; poor integration of urban and rural roads; inefficient municipal service; and avoidable silting of waterways. These are aggravated by poor attention to impact of increased and unregulated use of plastic bottles and nylon bags in both urban and rural communities. Simply put, the country direly needs an urgent upgrade of its municipal services and its sensitivity to hitherto unacknowledged impact of the environment on life.

    The recommendations presented to the NEC include short-and long-term approaches to flooding in the country, which has been occurring virtually since 2012 when over 350 citizens were killed in many states. This year’s flood was predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) during the last dry season.

    Highlights of the newly approved recommendations include “short-term and sustainable way of de-silting major tributaries and canals ahead of the flooding season; need for a paradigm shift for solving the annual negative experience; need to set up a Federal Project Coordinating Unit comprising officers from the collaborating entities (federal, states and Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation (PCFRR), to be headed by a director, to identify locations for critical actions and realistic cost estimates, and implement the flood prevention, mitigation and preparedness programme.”

    In view of NIMET’s unheeded warning about this year’s floods, the decision of the Minister of the Environment to send recommendations to NEC is, though belated, still useful for the rest of the rainy season. Certainly, the Federal Government and allied agencies need to respond immediately to bereaved families and those who have lost property in both states and elsewhere in the country, while proper medical attention needs to be given to those in temporary settlements.  Further, given that the rainy season has just started, de-silting of rivers, canals, and drainages is urgent.

    But the recommendations have focused more on effects of flooding than causes. It is true that citizens drop solid waste, plastic bottles and nylon bags that block drainages and water channels, but a large part of the blame for silting belongs to government at all levels. For too long, there have not been proper land use and management in the country. Urban and rural planning has been visibly lax. There are several buildings across the country that are sitting on floodplains.

    Also, lack of effective population planning and inadequate municipal service are indirect causes of incessant flooding. For example, the population of Southwestern Nigeria is disproportionate to its land area. Southwestern Nigeria constitutes 8.38 pecent of the total land area of the country and houses 19.77 percent of her population. The six states of the Southwest have a combined population density of 482 people/sq.km. The population density may rise to 1,032 people/sq.km by 2050, if the rate of population increase is maintained.

    Effective prevention of flooding can be achieved by committing adequate energy to an active, capable, and devoted municipal service to monitor and regulate proper management of both urban and rural land. Nigeria is in a good position to borrow other strategies to reduce frequency and intensity of flooding. The country has enough dry land to irrigate with excess rain water and enough wetlands to reforest, in order to prevent seasonal floods that destabilise many families each rainy season.

    Above all, governments at state and local levels need to improve on their environmental literacy broadcasts in indigenous languages on the importance of proper handling of solid waste, especially items that are not bio-degradable.

     

  • Water, water everywhere

    Water, water everywhere

    Water,  water everywhere. The paradox of water.  I am not referring to the tragic floods of Benue State nor those of Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey. I am  not referring to  Huricane IRMA which has caused so much devastation in  the Caribbean and United States. Rather, my  mind is on the ancient riverine Community of Gelegele in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State which I visited again on Friday September 8.  It was like keeping an appointment with destiny; I had promised myself and officials of the Presidential Amnesty Programme that the next time we visit the town, we must leave a positive mark. I had no doubt what that should be.

    Gelelge is an oil-rich town in the watery creeks of the Niger Delta which has almost been by-passed by civilization and development in spite of centuries of contact with Europeans..

    Its being virtually  submerged in water, the town had no safe drinking water. It reminded me of the sailor in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” who was in a ship at sea, but had no water to drink because it was salt water. He had lamented “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”

    Like the Ancient Mariner, Gelegele was virtually inside water, but had none to drink.  The town   being oil rich,  with gas flaring right inside it, but not in a demonstrable way, benefitting from its natural resources, was another paradox.

    I knew that  the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has evolved   policies to stop gas flaring, involve the people  directly in the wealth of their land by  encouraging them to participate in the Modular Refinery project,  produce mass jobs with the proposed pipeline surveillance project and generally, take the lead in the development of the Region. But I was also conscious  of the reality  that these cannot be achieved immediately, so I thought of some quick-impact project  that would make life easier. So I decided that we need  to develop a big borehole that would be high yielding, easy to operate and easy to maintain.

    It was Chinua Achebe in his  1960 book , “No Longer at Ease” who admonished that “A man who lives on the banks of the Niger (River) should not wash his hands in spittle.”  That could well be the  story of Gelelege.

    When I returned to Gelegele on September 8, to commission the borehole, I felt a sense of fulfillment although this is essentially,  a gesture. I felt one with the people and the community; I felt  we had a bond that will grow.  Speaking and interacting with the community, led by His Royal Majesty Alagbabunafa of Olodiama with the Zonal President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC)  Chief Robinson Ogunkoru, I  had a feeling of elation especially when they let it be known that this is a Government that has rekindled their hope and an administration they can trust.

    But I had more good news for them.  The President Buhari Government is not only committed to ending gas flaring , but the process will also lead to the direct creation of an estimated thirty six thousand  direct jobs and two hundred thousand indirect jobs in the Niger Delta Region. Additionally, some six million households  will have  access to renewable energy as the gas being flared, will be harnessed and channeled to homes.

    The Gelegele people expressed  their appreciation but had a request; they want to play an active part in the surveillance of pipelines. On  this I assured them that it is the policy of government to make  this project, community-based; the conviction of  the Government is that the best persons who can do such a job, are the very communities through which the pipelines pass. Another request they made, is for skill acquisition centres; this I told them the Presidential Amnesty Programme is willing to look into within its budgetary approvals.

    The next day, I was in  Ondo State where I visited Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu  who wants the Federal Government to expand the Amnesty Programme to accommodate more youths in the Region  in order  to reduce youth restiveness. He also  advised that educational training should be domesticated. I was happy about this as one of my first acts as Coordinator  of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, was to domesticate the offshore training of the project.

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ondo State Council also conferred on me the award of Niger Delta Peace Ambassador.. The NUJ Chairman, Mr. James Sowole said this was in recognition of my “dynamic” leadership of the Amnesty Programme and my Peace-Building Initiatives in the Niger Delta.

    At the Second Summit of the National Council of Niger Delta (NCND) held in Akure, I was elated as the Vice President, Professor  Yemi Osinbajo  rolled out the plans of the administration for the Niger Delta including the injection of more funds into the Presidential Amnesty Programme  for overall greater impact in the Region.

    I was also privileged to accompany the Vice President to Igbokoda, in Ilaje where he listened to the people, addressed and interacted with them at the Ondo State Niger Delta Communities Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting. I had nothing but praise for the youths who have maintained peace and along with the rest of the populace, warmly welcomed the Vice President and his delegation.

    I came away from Ondo State ever convinced that the most challenging task we have is to engage the youths in whatever way; from vocation, education, training (especially in agriculture) empowerment to make them self-employed, to mass employment. I also had no doubt that this cannot be left to the federal and state governments alone; the private sector- especially the oil and gas companies- has to play a major role.

     

    • Brig.-Gen. Boroh is the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

     

  • Niger floods leave thousands homeless

    Niger floods leave thousands homeless

    The Interior Ministry in Niger said flooding had killed at least 56 people since the rainy season began in the country in June and left over 185,000 homeless.

    In one of the world’s poorest countries, where most houses are made of earth or mud, the flood destroyed thousands of homes.

    One of the flood victims, Mahamane Soumana, said his home and farm had been completely flooded for the past two months.

    Soumana, who stood ankle-deep in mud, hesitatingly throwing a net in his home’s flooded yard in Banga Bana district, in Niamey, his two houses collapsed with the rain.

    “I‘m a rice farmer, not a fisherman, but my field has been completely flooded for the past two months. So, I fish in my courtyard.

    “I used to have two houses, both of which collapsed with the rain.

    “But, now I have nothing to house or feed my family other than fish,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation as he tried to untangle a couple of small fish from his net.

    Soumana’s situation is far from uncommon. For Nigeriens unable to afford cement homes, each rainy season increasingly brings a dangerous ordeal, local experts say.

    According to Katiellou Gaptia, Head of Meteorology at Niger’s Met Office, climate change in the Sahel is creating warmer conditions where the atmosphere can hold more moisture, often increasing the volume of rainfall.

    “This year’s rain is just extraordinary. In Niamey alone, the season’s rainfall has increased by 84 percent since 2010,” he said.

    Gabagoura, a village northwest of Niamey, is one of the worst affected areas by the recent floods.

    On the median strip of the main road, mats and foam mattresses dry on guardrails.

    Around them, piles of wood and straw are all that are left of more than 290 homes that collapsed at the end of August, leaving 1,200 people homeless.

    Village chief, Adamou Saley, walks towards a massive silk-cotton tree, under which 15 people have taken shelter.

    “Look at this misery, total desolation,” he said, looking around at the remnants of homes.

    Saley said Gabagoura village had indeed been warned by the government on television and radio.

    “But, the village was spared the brunt of flooding last year, so people thought they would be safe.

    “Some still tried to build drainage gutters around their homes, but even they collapsed,” said the village chief.

    He said that the government and several non-governmental organisations had sent food and supplies and that some flood victims had moved into the village’s two schools.

    “But some people are still left on the streets. School is set to start again in early October, which may mean those sheltering in schools will need to find a new place to stay.

    “If we don’t get any more help I don’t know what will happen to those currently living in the school,” Saley said.

    He expressed apprehension over more predicted rainfall, saying “80 per cent of us are without homes. If it rains again, we’ll lose the entire village.’’

    Hadjara Yacouba’s house was entirely destroyed by the rains.

    She said “we have nothing, not even a tent.

    “I am a widow with 17 children, and we have lost everything.’’

    “Before the start of the rainy season, the government advised people living in flood-prone areas to leave their homes.

    “But few heeded the advice because they refused to abandon their homes or had nowhere else to go,’’ said Boubacar Sidikou, Secretary-General for Niger’s Ministry of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management.

    “As soon as we have the funds to prepare the shelter sites we will do so.

    “We believe the shelters will allow us to temporarily house all those currently left in schools,” Sidikou said, without specifying how many people the sites could accommodate.

    Fatima Alher, who heads a project mapping flood-prone zones in Niamey, thinks national and local efforts to prepare for flooding were not enough.

    “To date, we’ve not had an efficient system to alert the entire population.

    “Flood survivors we spoke to said they weren’t properly informed of what was happening,” she said.

    Today, efforts to rebuild flood-stricken areas are not progressing fast enough, residents complained.

    Officials at the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management said they had identified four potential shelter areas in Niamey, but had yet to set them up due to lack of funds.

     

     

  • Fed Govt to states, council areas: brace for floods

    Fed Govt to states, council areas: brace for floods

    The rains are back. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) says in its Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) for the year that 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are flood-prone. The agency is advising residents of 314 of the country’s 774 local government areas to be at the alert. BUNMI OGUNMODEDE writes that relocating to safer havens may be a wise decision.

    WITH the August break over, the rainy season is expected to go into full swing this month. The Federal Government yesterday renewed its flood alerts to Nigerians – millions of Nigerians across 314 local government areas may be affected by varying degrees of flooding. The government  through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had warned in an Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) to brace for flood-related challenges.

    The council areas are spread over 35 states.

    The government urged states and local government areas to apply necessary environmental regulations in their areas to guard against recurrence of flood.

    The Water Resources Minister, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, told reporters in Abuja:  “Well, let me say that by the nature of our governance structure, each tier of government has its laws. In addition to the Federal Government, they also have their laws.

    “So, I am sure all the states of the federation have environmental laws that guard against what is happening, especially issues like erecting buildings on the watercourse.

    “So, I don’t think they need to be reminded of this; they just need to make sure that their agencies are making the necessary surveillance and kind of regulating this development.

    “Number two issues like cleaning of drainages and so; I think this is something that everybody should do not only the government at state or local government level, even the community themselves should be involved.

    “Why do we have environmental sanitation in many states, it is for them to be able to do this and we know that this thing is going to happen and they are the ones directly affected.

    “Why must they wait for the government to come and do this thing for them and what are the local governments doing.

    “But let me also say that the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) we normally provide is not for show. It is serious government’s business to alert the nation of what is likely to come.

    “And then it is the responsibility of those sub-national governments to take it up from there.

    “We have shared the information with everybody, with all the states. It’s their responsibility to take it down to the local governments.”

    Adamu said that the dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue were part of government’s effort at curbing the menace of flood in the country.

    “We approved such an idea to dredge Rivers Niger and Benue which we have found very useful and we will do a lot to safeguard the banks of the rivers and the communities downstream from excessive flooding.” the minister said.

    He was echoing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who led a federal delegation to the IDPs camp in Makurdi on Wednesday to identify with the victims.

    Osinbajo, who stood in for President Muhammadu Buhari, hoped that the dredging would not only tackle flooding but also creates job opportunities for the youth.

    He said: “We need to look at a realistic solution to this problem, the dredging of River Benue is very important in addressing this flood issue and we will do something about it.’’

    The government, he said, was not only concerned about this year’s flood disaster but the 2012 disaster too and would find permanent solution to Benue incessant flooding.

    “The intention of the Federal Government is not just to assist flood victims but also to find ways of providing real opportunities to help Nigerians improve their standard of living,” he assured.

    According to the Manager at the International Market Camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, James Iorhuna, no fewer than 4, 775 persons have been dislodged from their homes, have registered.

    The camp was set up following flood which displaced more than 100,000 persons in 21 local government areas of the Northcentral state.

    Iorhuna said: “We have so far registered 1,387 male children, 1,349 female children, 531 men, 642 women, 585 children under the age of five, 92 pregnant women, 115 nursing mothers and 74 physically challenged persons.”

    The camp manager said the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) had provided water and 40 toilets at the camp, while other basic needs of the IDPs were being met.

    The states and local governments were yesterday urged states and local government areas to apply necessary environmental regulations in their areas to guard against recurrence of flood.

    An ecologist, Mr. Abdullahi Aremu, urged the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders to adopt flood proof technologies that could minimise the effect of floods in the country.

    Aremu, who is the Director-General, Advocacy for Environmental and Sanitation Integrity, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), was reacting to the floods which recently destroyed many property and rendered thousands homeless in Benue and Katsina states.

    He said: “Floods occur when ponds, lakes, riverbeds, soil, and vegetation cannot absorb all the water. Water then runs off the land in quantities that cannot be carried within stream channels or retained in natural ponds, lakes, and man-made reservoirs.

    “There is need for government and other relevant stakeholders to devise means of holding water where it falls by adopting flood proof technologies.’’

    Aremu also urged them to minimise flood damages by restoring upland wetlands and improving agricultural practices, saying: “There is need to encourage collaboration among academic disciplines such as engineering, social science, and other science and technology fields in controlling and solving flood problems.

    “Flood control in both structural and non-structural forms helps protect lives and property from flood devastation. Floodplains are naturally occurring low-lying areas adjacent to waterways that act as natural filtration systems, serve as flood water storage sites and help recharge ground water and aquifer systems.’’

    The environmentalist said that the public should be educated about the risks and costs of living in the floodplain.

    Some states governments, including Lagos, have urged residents to relocate from flood paths to avoid disaster. Lagos is among the states listed by the NIHSA to brace for flooding. The agency advised the state to take proactive measures in 18 local government areas. They are: Badagry, Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Eti-Osa, Epe, Agege, Mushin, Somolu, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ibeju-Lekki, Kosofe, Ifako-Ijaye, Ikeja and Ikorodu.

    Last week, the Lagos State government, through its Environment Commissioner Babatunde Adejare, advised residents in the listed local governments to find a safer haven, informing them of plans to release water from the Ogun-Osun Dam.

    In Delta State, the government is collaborating with the Federal Government and the World Bank to initiate remediation projects five communities.

    It launched yesterday the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) in Asaba. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said project will proffer solution to erosion and environmental challenges.

    NEWMAP, which is an interventionist programme assisted by the World Bank in collaboration with the Delta State government under the auspices of the Federal Government is designed to check gully erosion and flood.

    The described as worrisome, the existence of over 100 active erosion and flood ravaged sites in the Southsouth state.

    He said: “The World Bank has partnered with us in different areas and we are happy with the development as we are ready to partner with any organisation or individual that is ready to assist our people, especially, those in erosion and flood prone areas, and in the area of our job creation efforts.”

    The Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank and NEWMAP Task Team Leader, Dr. Amos Abu, lauded the administration for its commitment towards the development of Delta State, especially in tackling environmental challenges which was evident in the quick release of the counterpart funding of N530 million.

    Some of the flood-prone local governments as listed by NIHSA’s annual flood outlook are: Abia’s four local governments of Umuahia South, Umuahia North, Ukwa West and Ukwa East – are to be affected; nine local government areas in Cross River State; six council areas in Ebonyi; 15 and 11 local government areas in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states respectively.

    In Ogun State, six local government areas – Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ifo, Obafemi-Owode, Ijebu-East and Ogun Waterside – are to be affected. Sixteen of the 33 local government areas to experience varying dimensions of floods.

    At a workshop on AFO in Abuja, the NIHSA Director-General, Dr. Moses Beckley predicted flooding in eight major rivers across the country. He advised residents living in flood prone areas to relocate.

    The expected areas of flooding are: Niger, Benue, Sokoto-Rima, Anambra-Imo, Cross River, Niger Delta, Komadougu-Yobe, Ogun-Osun and several other sub-basins of the country.

    Dr. Beckley said: “This outlook forecast is to get the people aware, enlightened, so that they can prepare effectively for what to likely expect from flood incident.

    “We in the agency advise those living in these areas to relocate to safety regions having the knowledge of hydrological hazard which floods have caused in previous years in the country.

    Beckley, however, explained that the areas to be affected by flood this year would be lower than that of last year.

  • Aba waits after floods

    Aba waits after floods

    Over one month after Aba, Abia State’s city of commerce and industry, was submerged, residents hope their pleas will be answered. SUNNY NWANKWO reports

    The downpour on July 23 was devastating. Two children were said to be swept off. Homes were wrecked, and many residents forced outdoors. Aba, Abia State’s commercial capital, had a sudden tragedy in hand. Those affected, mostly in Aba North and South local government areas, appealed for help, wherever they could get it, from the local government to Abuja, the nation’s capital. Six weeks after, some residents wondered if no one heard their pleas. Nothing of substance was forthcoming from any of the tiers of government.

    Some of the distraught residents took to abandoned petrol stations for refuge not minding the danger of being exposed to dangerous animals that may be occupying the makeshift shelter before their arrival.

    The lawmaker representing Aba North and South Federal constituency, Hon. Ossy Prestige  visited them alongside the head of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Owerri Operations Office, Hon. Ugo Evans. Prestige was moved to tears seeing the damage and horrible conditions under which dislodged families lived after the floods.

    Aba’s flood problems are multiple. There is a federal road project under the supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that could drain off Aba floodwaters to the Aba River. But the concern is that for years the project has not made any appreciable progress. That is why the residents often resort to self-help to prevent their houses from being submerged after several failed attempts to attract the attention of government to their plight.

    They dread the rainy season during which they go through much stress finding a way to their homes and then out again every day to look for daily bread.

    The Nation gathered that a trip to Ihieorji to Umunkama down to Ukwa which usually took a stop now takes up to three or four stops depending on where you are going. A trip to Umunkama which once cost between N30 and N50 now costs as much as N100 and even N200.

    A resident described their ordeal as hell on earth, adding that this year’s rain took them by surprise.

    A resident of Amucha, Mrs. Uchechukwu Nnadiugwu said, “To be frank, what we usually see here during rain is unbelievable. We are happy to see you guys here today. During rainy season, we hardly see food to eat because of several expenses we are expecting to make on flood disaster. We just pray God gives you people the strength to help us out totally from this predicament. On Sunday we didn’t go to church because we were using pumping machines to take water off our buildings. Seeing Prestige Ossy here, I’m so happy.”

    Another respondent, Ikechukwu Onyiba corroborated Mrs. Nnadiugwu, adding, “Almost all our tenants here have been driven away by the downpour. It got to a point where we had to use refuse to build local fence and today, the rain has totally destroyed the local fence and destroyed our homes and every property we had in our houses.

    “The reason why we are still here is because here is my hometown. I’m from here and have no place to run to. Our house here occupied over 15 plots of land, but as I speak to you now, there’s not a single tenant there. The flood comes from Ibadan Street, Ohanku and some other areas to us here to cause damage.

    “As I speak to you, two children died and their bodies were discovered the next day. Their mother carried their things to somewhere, but before she could return, the flood carried her two children. Where we are standing now used to be a house over 30 years ago, but flood has destroyed everything here.”

    In an interview with newsmen, Ugo Evans of NEMA said, “From what I’ve seen, it’s obvious that this area is a flood-prone area. And from what I also heard, it has been like this for the past 8-10 years. Many administrations have come and gone with zero remedy and no help is being given to residents of this area. What I’m seeing and hearing here is unbelievable.

    “According to what we’ve seen here today, it’s obvious that bad road networks and lack of drainage and plane area for flood control are the main problems. We shall come in and give them some relief materials to enable them replace their lost properties with the aid of state emergency management to sensitise people in this area on how to leave here. As soon as possible, this will be done. We are here as a fact-finding team, so when we are doing our recommendations, we’ll include medical aid because the possibility of an outbreak of disease abounds.”

    Also speaking, Prestige said, “My impression still remains the same. Federal Government needs to order its agencies to come to the rescue of Aba people. In my motion, I expressly said that Aba has been submerged by flood and that the flood menace in Aba need the urgent intervention of the federal government right now. Having come here with some officers of NEMA, I’m sure that the report they will give back to their office wouldn’t be different from what I’ve said in my motion.

    “Federal government as a matter of urgency should come to the rescue of Aba people because half of Aba is now almost having an IDP camp. I’m sure you saw some people sleeping in filling stations. Their bedroom and parlours are now in the filling stations.

    “NEMA has done so much in the Northeast, providing them with food items, houses and so on. Aba is also in need of such help because my people are suffering too. There is a serious problem in Aba. As I heard from one of the landlords saying that if not for the fact that he’s from there, that he would have run away because all his tenants have all moved away. People now sleep in churches and public places. This is exactly what is obtainable in the Northeast.

    “I know that in the last three months, over 13 billion naira has been spent in providing facilities and some of these relief materials in the Northeast. Even if it’s half or one quarter of what’s spent in the Northeast to Aba, I’m sure it will go a long way in making Aba people know that they are a part of this country.

    “It will not stop here. It will continue till NEMA does something. I assure Aba that they will be remembered. Let me inform us that prior to now I’ve written to the ecological office in the SG office about Aba.

    “I’m sure that apart from NEMA, FG through ecological office in SFG office will do something. The ministry of works and housing has sent their staff to measure the remaining part of the road with a view to continue after the rains. And the roads under construction must be done with the knowledge that here is flood prone area.

    “When dry season sets in, I’m sure the construction will continue. Raising alarm about flood disaster is not the issue. The execution part of the alarm is what matters.”

  • Floods: Coalition urges stoppage of dredging, revisit of EIA

    Floods: Coalition urges stoppage of dredging, revisit of EIA

    The Concerned Citizens of Lekki Peninsula, Ikoyi and Victoria Island – a coalition of estates in the Lekki-Epe axis – have called on the Lagos State government to ensure the immediate removal of all obstructions to the natural watercourse in the area and uphold the sanctity of the Lekki Regional Masterplan.

    The request is coming in the wake of the recent flooding that affected most parts of Lagos Island.

    The coalition blamed the flooding on what it called “the indiscriminate sandfilling of natural water courses, oceans and lagoons in the area and the inability of the government to implement the Lekki drainage regional master plan.”

    Addressing reporters on Victoria Island, the chairman of the coalition, Mr. Olusegun Ladega, identified factors responsible for the flooding to be three folds. Firstly, he blamed the distortion in the Lekki drainage regional masterplan caused by the indiscriminate sand filling of natural waterways, and the illegal construction of structures on drainages and canals that obstruct the flow of water so flood water has nowhere to go.

    Secondly, Ladega noted that the inability of the critical ministries in the state – Environment, Waterfront, Land and Physical Planning – to work in synergy has resulted in infringement and breach of environmental laws by the ministries, leading to a poor and weak enforcement of the laws, building regulations and town planning guidelines.  He listed the third cause of the flood as the sand- filling of lagoons and oceans causing coastal erosion and forcing water back to land, and the inability of estate developers to produce Environmental Impact Analysis reports.

    Ladega urged the Lagos State government to resolve these issues, saying that the flooding was not principally the effect of indiscriminate dumping of refuse and climate change, which government blamed.

    Therefore, the coalition further said, having identified these reasons as the remote causes of the flooding, there was a need to change the narrative from the narrow political one being peddled by the government of residents clogging canals with refuse and climate change.

    The coalition  argued that as the area that pays the highest amount on its properties to the government, it deserves to be given a certain level of consideration especially as concerns infrastructure.

    They called on government to, as a matter of urgency, put in place measure that will abate the menace caused by flooding in the area. One of these demands is the immediate stoppage of all sand filling activities across the state until the Environmental Impact Assessments reports are made available and subjected to independent scientific review. Besides, they urged the state government to enforce the original drainage master plan, and all distortions on the drainage master plan be reversed; all construction hindering flow of water be removed immediately and there should be a restoration of all developments to comply with the Lagos State environmental laws.

    Ladejo noted that the flooding of the July 8  and 22, has exposed the lack of a response plan/structure to deal with an emergency of this scale. Therefore, the body says an emergency plan should be put in place that will address the persistent flooding and attend to residents affected by the menace.

    Other measures the coalition suggested include adequate measures  to inform the public of the emergency plan that will inform the public of the dangers; a plan for the rescue of anyone affected, relocation of those whose properties are affected in case of another flood. Also, the government should put in place a mechanism for the maintenance of drainage structures, and maximise capacity of drainages as both reservoirs and transport medium for waste waters.

    “This is common sense, but it is not done. Drainages are filled up with silt up to about 75 per cent of their capacity. There is the need to repair and reconstruct existing drainages because most of them have lost their capacity due to structural damages,” Ladega said.             The coalition also charged the state government to continue with the use of filter strips in form of permeable paving (main roads and development driveways), which needs to be reinforced as concrete roads are not desirable in these areas. He said there is a need to limit flow of waste water into public drains by improving on waste water management systems in large estates; improved septic tank design/construction in private residence. Ladega explained that there is the need to also maximise river course capacity. For instance, he revealed that the Lagos Lagoon has not been dredged in ages, hence, the need for a deliberate sweep of the river bed to improve water flow and retention.

    “Furthermore, the Lagos State Government needs to develop deliberate policy to protect the Peninsula to influence development and construct mechanical flood defences. This will range from ordinary levees with sand bags to concrete/shell shore protection and embankment,” he explained.

    Importantly, the coalition called on government to construct artificial ponds or lakes to act as additional reservoir / retention for floodwater and caissons. It added that there is also a need to construct elevated road with gentle slope embankment, as this will preserve the integrity of road for the purpose of evacuation during flooding emergency and at the same time increase capacity of drains.

    The coalition also tasked government to appoint a watch dog committee from the private sector and civil society that will monitor, and ensure the environmental laws are properly carried out all through the year.

  • Floods sack cities nationwide

    Floods sack cities nationwide

    •Flood submerges parts of Asaba, as residents battle torrential rains

    The rains returned to Lagos yesterday with fresh flooding in many parts.

    The situation hampered human movement on a day set aside for election into the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas.

    The rain, accompanied with thunderstorms, lasted for more than two hours, confining many residents to their apartments, until it subsided.

    The flooding of the roads compelled road users to drive against traffic in some areas as people rushed to beat the 7a.m. restriction of movement time.

    Sango Otta in Ogun State was also badly flooded in the aftermath of yesterday’s rain.

    Major roads in the industrial town were submerged and impassable for vehicles and humans.

    Some vehicles broke down on the roads after getting stuck in the floods.

    A major part of the Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way under the bridge in Sango was overtaken by flood.

    Flood caused by a similar heavy rain swept away two children of the same parents at Okpoko, New Haven Layout in Ogbaru, Anambra State.

    The victims aged six and 12 were children of Mr. and Mrs. John Obasi.

    The rain fell all though Friday night until yesterday causing severe damage in parts of Owelle Aja and Oduke in Obosi and Okpoko areas.

    President-General of Okpoko community, Linus Ezenwamma, blamed the flooding on indiscriminate dumping of refuse, leading to blockage of drainage outlets

    Also, parts of Asaba, the Delta State capital, were similarly submerged following a downpour that disrupted economic activities in the metropolis.

    The rain which started on Friday night lasted over six hours, trapping hundreds of thousands of residents indoors.

    The twin cities of Okpanam and Asaba were cut off as the only road connecting them was under water, disrupting vehicular movement.

    The Lagos downpour began at 5 a.m. which left many areas flooded and affected early commencement of voting in the local government polls.

    At the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, many motorists trying to get out of Lagos, apart from contending with the rain, were caught up in the restriction of movement time which took off at 7.00am causing a heavy traffic gridlock.

    In Badagry, only few voters were at some polling units where security personnel, electoral officers and materials were on ground by 8a.m.

    At Polling Units 007, 008 and 009 in Ward A, Badagry Local Government, voters were seen by 8a.m, while at Polling Unit 8 in Ward B, few voters got accredited and began voting by 8.25a.m.

    Only two voters were at Polling Unit 007 in Ward D at 8.30am.

    Mrs Verona Chike, the Polling Officer in the unit, blamed the low turnout on the downpour.

    “I am sure that more voters will come out as soon as the rain stops,” she told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Mr Bakare Olagoke, the Electoral Officer of the Alimosho Local Government branch of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), told NAN that the rain delayed the process.

    “We are leaving now. It is heavy rain and only God saved us that the communication mast did not fall on our office or anyone because the rain was too heavy,” he said.

    Worst hit by the Asaba flooding was Okpanam road where the flood sacked many businesses along the over two kilometre stretch of the road.

    The drainage project abandoned by successive government could not cope with the deluge as flood waters swamped many business premises.

    Other areas included Ogbe-Ilo Street, Direct Labour agency road and its adjoining roads, Kingdom Bakery road, off Ezenei Avenue and Bonsaac Bakery road.

    Another areas hit by the flooding problem is the Mariam Babangida Way as the entire stretch of the road was submerged.

    The flood waters sacked many residents behind of Nowayo Petrol station off the Benin-Onitsha Express way

    The Police Headquarters was not spared as policemen posted on sentry duty abandoned their post for fear of being swept away by the flood.

    The Police Command is built on low lying terrain and compounding the problem is the fact that premises is marshy and silted.

    Many motorists had a hectic time as their vehicles broke down in the flood and commuters had to trudge through muddy waters to get to their various destinations.

    A worker with the State owned newspaper narrowly escaped death after the wall adjoining a shed collapsed.

    The worker who spoke to The Nation praised God for protecting her following her narrow escape.

    She said, “I was on my way to work, but due to the heavy rains I hid myself in a shed. No sooner had a changed location that the wall suddenly caved in and fell right on the spot I had just left five minutes earlier. I thank the Almighty God for this miracle of survival.”

    Concerned that many residents of Asaba run the risk of being swept away by the huge current of flood waters in parts of the city, the government has warned residents to keep away from flood prone areas.

    The State Ministry of Information in a statement advised Deltans, especially those living around flood prone areas in Asaba, to be careful in their movements with the return of torrential rain.

    It said  government is concerned about the safety of all those living in the state, and  advised residents to avoid areas with high current of flood as it is impossible to determine one’s ability to withstand such pressure.

    It added: “the state government feels the pains and inconveniences suffered by residents in terms of damage or loss of property, while reiterating the state government’s resolve to put an end to flood issues in Asaba and its environs assuring that all contractors recently awarded drainage and flood control projects will mobilise to site as soon as the dry season sets in.”