Honourable Victor Omofaiye, Kogi State Commissioner for Environment, has pleaded with the Federal Government (FG) and other international bodies to come to the state’s aid during the flood crisis.
On Tuesday, Omofaye made this appeal on Channels Television’s show which was monitored by BizWatch Nigeria.
At least six people were reported dead in Kogi’s worst-hit Ibaji district, which state Governor Yahaya Bello described as “100% underwater.”
The Commissioner praised the state government’s proactive flood-prevention measures, but insisted that the fight could only be won with the help of foreign and individual stakeholders.
“You know that the state government alone cannot do it alone and that is why we are calling on the Federal Government and even international donors well spirited persons in the society to come to our aid in relocating thousands of people,” he said.
“The state government under the leadership of our able governor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello has quickly set up a committee under the supervision of the deputy governor who has in the same way quickly put up a situation room and as we speak, all the data is being collected there.”
“Kogi government can’t do this alone and the governor explained while restoring the affected persons in the camps; he told them that we have efforts to move these people to a safer place and that is what we are currently doing that is why I told you we have a committee in place now; we are working round it to endure that this is done as soon as possible,” Omofaiye explained.
Speaking further about the government’s efforts to prevent a repeat occurrence, Omofaiye stated that early sensitization has been critical to the low mortality rate, with effective collaboration from federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations.
“Flooding in Kogi State, we have 3 stages; we have before, during, and after.
“The before aspect of it is when we carry out awareness, sensitization and what have you and so now we are faced with this flooding. Presently, the people who have sensitized earlier are being moved to higher ground and that is why we have not experienced the outcry of a high-level of death rate.
“The government is so proactive in ensuring that people living along the coastal area are being given earlier warnings, earlier sensitization to quickly move to higher ground the moment they experience this and with the cooperation of NEMA and SEMA, we have been working in conjunction with even non-governmental organizations to see that this menace is being tackled,” Omofaiye said.
Declare Kogi ‘ a natural disaster’ zone
Following the flooding, Yahaya Bello had earlier requested that President Muhammadu Buhari declare the state a national disaster zone during the 62nd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.
According to him, the declaration will help to unlock the nation’s capabilities to respond to this perennial disaster more aggressively with resources.
He stated that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had previously predicted that the 2022 floods would be more severe than usual, lamenting that the flood had affected Lokoja, Kogi-Koto, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Igalamela-Odolu, Bassa, Idah, Ibaji, and Omala local government areas, which are located along the Rivers Niger
The 2022 floods, according to Bello, have been confirmed as Nigeria’s worst flood disaster, surpassing the 2012 and 2018 floods, and his administration has implemented Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS), with efforts to evacuate victims to safer habitats ongoing.
