……. sets up Committee on prevention, mitigation and solution.
The Federal Government has urged persons living in areas prone to flooding to vacate to Highlands immediately predicting severe flooding following the notification of the opening of the Lagdo Dam by the Cameroonian Authorities on River Benue.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,Betta Edu made this known while addressing a Press Conference in Abuja on Monday.
Edu who is the head of a high -level Committee set up by President Bola Tinubu after her presentation on the Lagdo Dam to the maiden edition of the Federal Executive Council FEC meeting said that the committee was mandated to proffer solutions on preventing flooding and mitigate its impact.
Other members of the committee include Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Health and Social Welfare, Interior, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force, NSCDC, NEMA, NIMET, NIHSA, Fire Service.
Edu said a number of measures were being considered to tackle flooding including prompt evacuation of people living in flood plains areas to high lands and clearing of waterways including drainages adding that the federal ,state and local government areas are to work in synergy to curb the menace.
“Everyone is part of the engagement and sensitisation efforts of the federal government.
“Persons in the affected areas of the flood are enjoined to move to high lands for safety and state governors are to stand up to their responsibilities on the evacuation of persons in such areas to protect lives and properties.”
Other measures include sensitisation to begin from the Federal, States, Local Government Areas and Communities.
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Continuing she said the federal government will be working with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDA’s), states and Local governments to ensure that humanitarian services are provided as well as foods and non-food items, health and livelihood for recovery, reintegration and resettlement for the affected persons.
Also Speaking, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Ishaq Salako, said that Flood Early Warning System domiciled in his ministry, is on issuing hourly warning alerts of floods not only on river Benue but on River Niger as well. to let people know the level of water in their areas and vulnerability to flood.
On his part,the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said ;
“The Media is an important partner in the struggle and encouraged them to continue the good work they are doing.”
“It is the media that disseminate the message of preventing and mitigating floods and as a government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are finding solutions of the flooding to reduce the suffering of people, loss of lives and properties.”
Similarly, the, Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Goronyo, urged Nigerians to support the government effort to protect lives by ensuring that everybody in the danger zones vacated the areas as soon as possible.
Last year,severe flooding following the release of the Lagdo Dam caused Nigerians untold pain as some coastal states were impacted, and cities, communities and major highways linking states completely cut off. According to the Federal Government statistics on the 2022 flood, the flood claimed the lives of 603 persons nationwide, injured more than 2400 persons and displaced over 1.4 million people.
