The Federal Government on Tuesday summoned all relevant agencies to a meeting in Abuja to tackle the widespread destruction being caused by floods across the country.
At the meeting, the government reeled out the current flood disaster outlook, which revealed that over 500 persons had been confirmed dead due to the floods, 45,249 houses damaged and 70,566 hectares of farmland destroyed, among others.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sani Gwarzo, who chaired the meeting, however, told journalists that the government is working hard to address the situation.
He said, “In the area of the flood disaster outlook, records from the field have indicated that the 2022 flood is comparable only to the 2012 flood in terms of human displacement, livelihood disruption, infrastructure damage and environmental dislocation.
“The National Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that as of October 9, 2022, the water level at Lokoja and Makurdi along Rivers Niger and Benue is 11 per cent above the level recorded in 2012.
“So far, the flood has wreaked havoc in 31 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Over 500 persons are reported dead; 1,411,051 persons affected; 790,254 displaced persons with 1,546 persons injured.
“Furthermore, 44,099 houses are partially damaged; 45,249 houses damaged; 76,168 hectares of farmland partially damaged and 70,566 hectares of farmland are destroyed by the great deluge.”
Gwarzo, however, stated that reliefs were being made available to persons in need, as NEMA had provided relief support to over 315,000 displaced persons across the flood disaster hotspots where state capacities had been overwhelmed.
“The provision of food and non-food items for immediate relief and building materials for reconstruction and rehabilitation is ongoing.
“Field assessment of the situation is constantly received from NEMA zonal, territorial and operations offices across the country,” he stated.
The permanent secretary said there had been the deployment of vital resources to save lives, adding that the positive outcomes from the field were quite resounding.
“Coincidentally, as part of the Federal Government’s food intervention to cushion the effect of inflation and pre-harvest food shortage, Mr President has approved the release of 12,000 metric tonnes of grains from the national strategic grains reserve silos of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,” Gwarzo stated.
CAN laments
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria on Tuesday raised concern over the menace of flooding in the country and called on the Federal Government to set up a Presidential Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee to cushion its effects on the victims.
The association’s President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, made its position known in a statement issued in Abuja.
Okoh said CAN was troubled that in the recent flooding incidents recorded in Anambra State, two churches, Madonna Catholic Church in Idemili Iyiowa Odekpe, and an Anglican Church at Obenani, collapsed because of the floodwaters currently pounding Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.
He stated that parishes of Christ Holy Church, particularly in Umueze Anam, Anambra West Local Government and its environs, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ndoni, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the Rivers State, as well as the branches of many other church denominations located in the swathes of land around the lower Niger River and the coastal states, had been taken over by the worst deluge in living memory.
“Consequently, CAN urges the Federal Government to urgently set up and empower a Presidential Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee that will consist of eminent and wealthy Nigerians to mobilise financial assistance from both the public and private sectors for the victims of the flood disaster raging communities across the country,” he said.
