The Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Chief Crowther Seth, has called for the intervention of the Federal Government over perennial flooding in communities across the metropolitan capital city, Yola.
A repeat of the flooding on Thursday destroyed buildings, household items, businesses and other valuable belongings, and took lives, which an agency of the state government has confirmed to be seven in number.
The deputy governor, on a visit to some of the affected communities, said the losses were heavy and the state government could not bear them with the affected people alone, nor solve ecological problems behind the perennial flooding.
He said, “Adamawa State Government cannot do it alone. We have the issue of IDPs. We have the issue of Boko Haram and of herdsmen and farmers. So, we cannot do it alone. We appeal to the Federal Government to come to our aid as soon as possible.”
On its part, the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), which had on Friday said that about five children lost their lives to the flood, affirmed on Saturday that the number had risen to seven.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Mohammed Suleiman, said in an update to our correspondent, “I can now ascertain that seven people died. Yes, the authentic figure is seven.”
He said, however, that he could not yet state material losses in naira terms, but that the losses would be huge.
The Thursday flood affected communities mostly in Yola North Local Government Area and to a lesser extent in Yola South, including such communities as Wurojabe, where a particular family house collapsed and rushing water claimed two kids; and Jambutu,where traders lost hundreds of bags of grains in a famous grains market.
The flood similarly caused losses in Bachure, Kofare, Damilu and Yolde Pate, with some residents still counting their losses or redeeming some damage, such as spreading out their cushion chairs, mattresses and such items to dry up for reuse.
