 |
|
Some of the
victims of the flooding (Image source: PREMIUM TIMES)
|
No fewer than 53 people
have died in 11 states from floods that displaced more than 100,420 people this
year. Thousands
of houses, farmlands and property worth billions of Naira were also lost to the
flood disasters in many local government areas affected in the northern states. The affected states are Kano, Katsina,
Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi.
In
Kano State, a Director with the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation
Agency (SERERA), Sabi’u Mohammed, said 12 people lost their lives in the
disasters.
PREMIUM TIMES report continues:
“The
deceased lost their lives in six local government areas of the state between
August and September as a result of the flooding.
“Six
persons died in Shonono, two each in Dala and Tudun Wada and one each in Gabasawa
and Takai local government areas,” he said.
He
said that more than 1, 600 persons were displaced by the flood while property
worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
Mr.
Mohammed explained that officials from the National Emergency Management
Agency, NEMA, had already visited some of affected areas and assessed the
situation.
“At
our own level we have submitted a comprehensive report to the state government
for possible assistance to the victims of the disaster.
“I
am happy to inform you that the government had recently approved ₦15.8
million for the purchase and distribution of relief materials to victims of the
flood disaster in Albasu Local Government Area,” he said.
11 dead in Sokoto,
Zamfara
From
Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States, NEMA confirmed the death of 11 persons as a
result of flooding.
Thickman
Tanimu , Deputy Head, Sokoto Zonal Operations Office of NEMA said 10 of the
victims died in Zamfara, while a seven-year-old boy died at Kuchi village in
Kebbe Local Government of Sokoto State.
Mr.
Tanimu said that more than 86, 710 hectares valued ₦1.58
billion were destroyed in the three states.
According
to him, a total of 20, 477 homes were also affected, rendering more than 46,
200 people homeless.
He
said that the flood affected eight out of the 14 local government areas in
Zamfara, which included Shinkafi, Talata Mafara, Gusau, Anka, Tsafe, Bungudu,
Zurmi and Maradun.
The
official explained that 8,540 houses and 6,450 hectares of farmland valued at ₦260
million were destroyed in the affected areas in the state.
Mr.
Tanimu further said that 11 out of the 23 local governments in Sokoto State
were affected by the flood, while two communities in Wurno and Goronyo Local
Governments were evacuated.
“The
other local governments affected were Rabah, Kware, Binji, Kebbe, Gwadabawa,
Wamakko, Bodinga, Sokoto North and Sokoto South.”
He
added that, 24,750 people and 6, 922 houses were affected, with 42,800 hectares
of farmlands worth ₦750 million either totally destroyed or badly affected.
10 councils in Kebbi
In
Kebbi state, the NEMA official said that 10 out of the 21 Local Governments
were also affected by the disaster.
They
were Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Kalgo, Dandi, Bagudo, Yauri, Danko Wasagu
and Suru.
He
disclosed that 21,450 people and 5,015 houses were affected, while 37,460
hectares of farmlands worth ₦570 million were also destroyed.
According
to him, two communities in Birnin Kebbi, namely Wabbako-Fulani and
Wabbako-Hausa, have been submerged by the flood.
Mr.
Tanimu said that the agency had provided food and other essential materials to
assist the victims as part of the initial Federal Government’s intervention.
He
attributed the high level of losses to the release of water from Bakalori and
Goronyo dams located in Zamfara and Sokoto states respectively.
In Kaduna, 3 dead
In
Kaduna State, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA), Ezekiel Baba, confirmed the death of three people in Kachia Local
Government Area of the state.
Bala
the three persons died in August following a flood disaster which also
destroyed several houses and crops.
“We
have not had any major flood incident in Kaduna state this year.
“So
far, the only areas affected by flood were Kachia, Soba and Kajuru local
Government Areas, which was largely due to negligence on the part of the
affected communities.
“Many
of the affected communities are in the habit of dumping waste in drains,” he
said.
He,
however, said that the agency had been conducting series of enlightenment
campaign to enlighten the public on the dangers of dumping refuse in drains.
“We
have also warned the general public on a possible flood disaster, particularly
communities living in flood-prone areas,” he added.
Similarly,
the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Ahmed Salihu, said
that the ministry has assigned contractors to consistently desilt solid waste
from drains.
“We
have also educated and enlightened all Local Governments likely to be affected
by the impending flood based on NIMET’s prediction to be prepared just in case
the flood becomes a reality,” he said.
However,
NEMA’s North-West Zonal Coordinator, Musa Illalah, attributed the occurrences
of flooding partly to disregard to building regulations by the people.
According
to him, building houses on water ways predisposes communities to flooding.
Meanwhile,
Mahmood Shehu, Director, Disaster Management, Kaduna State Environmental
Management Agency, said that the state government had embarked on the
enforcement of public health and environmental standard laws.
He
explained that the measure was to check careless attitude of residents to
environmental laws as part of efforts to avert reoccurrence of flooding in the
state.
The
director equally said that adequate measures are being taken on risk
assessment, planning, early warnings, information management and communication
to curb avoidable disasters.
3 dead in Katsina
In
Katsina State, three persons died and more than 3, 620 people were displaced by
flood during the year.
Ibrahim
Abdulkarim, the Acting Executive Director, State Emergency Management Agency,
said that the flood disasters were recorded in 15 Local Government Areas of the
state.
He
listed the councils affected as Baure, Bindawa, Charanchi, Daura, Dutsi and
Dandume.
Others
were Ingawa, Kusada, Katsina, Malumfashi, Matazu, Mai’adua, Musawa, Sandamu and
Zango.
He
revealed that the state government had established an Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) Camps for victims in the affected areas.
According
to him, NEMA has also awarded contract for a permanent IDPs camp in Katsina
metropolis at the cost of ₦156 million.
He
said that the project, which was under the Presidential Committee on Flooding
Disaster, Relief and Rehabilitation, has reached over 75 per cent completion.
Mr.
Abdulkarim also said that committee had drilled 10 solar boreholes in flood
prone areas, to avoid outbreak of diseases.
He
further added that NEMA had distributed 11 trucks loaded with relief materials
to the flood victims.
The
director said that the agency was enlightening the populace against building on
waterways and dumping refuse in the drains.
Abdulkarim
further stated that ecological committees had been constituted in all the 34
Local Government Areas of the state to mobilise residents on safe sanitation
and environmental habits to avert flood disaster.
The
director advised the Katsina State Government to amend existing environmental
and sanitation laws to conform to the present realities.
“Some
of the punishments contained in the laws are too light to the extent that the
offenders will not feel the impact,” he said.
11 killed in Bauchi
In
Bauchi, the Secretary, State Humanitarian Coordination Team (SHCT), Abubakar
Umar, said no fewer than 11 persons lost their lives, with 11,708 houses and
104,147 farmlands destroyed by flood in 2015.
Mr.
Umar told the News Agency of Nigeria in Bauchi that value of the property
destroyed was about ₦1.5 billion.
He
said that 88 communities and 105 villages in 18 out of the 20 local government
areas of the state were affected.
Mr.
Umar said the state government spent ₦12.75 million in
ameliorating the hardship of victims affected.
Abubakar
Ibrahim, a farmer in Darazo town, said the flood that occurred in July, caused
serious destruction of farmlands and animals.
He
said that the state government had promised to assist the victims, but added
that they were yet to receive anything.
Another
victim, Danmmusa Ahmed, who lost his house and birds to the flood in Toro Local
Government Area, said they were yet to receive any assistance.
“The
committee assured us that the government would assist, but nothing has come to
me yet,” he lamented.
Jigawa: 4 killed,
property destroyed
In
Jigawa, Governor Muhammad Badaru said that about 223,000 farmlands were
destroyed by flood in all 27 Local Government Areas of the state.
He
said that the state government had sought for assistance from the Federal
Government to ameliorate the hardship being faced by the victims.
“I
spoke with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Director General of National
Emergency Management Agency on telephone, to intimate them on the situation,”
he said.
Meanwhile,
NEMA said four people had died in flood that wrecked seven Local Government
Areas of Jigawa recently.
The
NEMA Zonal Coordinator for North-West zone, Musa Ilallah, said in Dutse that
the agency had carried out an assessment tour to the affected council areas to
take stock of items destroyed.
He
said that the team from the agency visited Guri, Kirikasama, Malammadori, Auyo,
Jahun, Kiyawa and Birninkudu, Local Government Areas.
He
appealed to state government to increase funding to the state emergency
management agency.
Meanwhile,
the Chairman of Birninkudu Local Government Council in Jigawa, Khalid Ibrahim,
said that the council spent ₦4.1 million on relief materials
distributed to victims of flood in Babaldu village.
Mr.
Ibrahim said that the local government council had taken measures to clear
drains to prevent reoccurrence of flood in the area.
Similarly,
Chairman of Kiyawa Local Government Area in the state, Nasiru Ahmed, said that
five children were killed and 10,000 farmlands destroyed in a recent flood
disaster that ravaged the area.
He
also said that two major roads from Dutse to Katanga and Kiyawa and Birninkudu,
were cut off, making vehicular and human movement, difficult during the period.
Three killed in Gombe
The
Head of Operations of NEMA, Gombe office, Minin Sa’idu, told NAN that the
flooding that affected the five Local government areas resulted in the death of
three persons and destruction of 122 houses.
Mr.
Sa’idu said NEMA would forward its report to the appropriate authorities for
assistance to be rendered to the victims.
Adamu
Pukuma, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Environment and Forest Resources,
Gombe State, described the condition of the victims as ‘pathetic’.
He
blamed the people in the habit of dumping waste in drains, saying that this had
affected free flow of water in the area.
He
also observed that some culverts were initially designed as single cell, but
following the change in rain pattern, the culverts could no longer contain the
volume of water passing through them.
Yobe too
In
Yobe, nine out of the 17 local government areas were badly affected by floods,
which destroyed houses, farmlands and livestock.
NAN
reports that communities in Nangere, Fune, Potiskum, Bade, Jakusko, Nguru,
Tarmuwa, Bursari and Damaturu were affected by the floods.
Adamu
Alabura, Chairman of Nangere Local Government Council, said that in his area,
about 330 houses in nine villages, including the council headquarters, were
destroyed by floods.
“Many
farmlands in the affected areas were swept away or submerged, along with
livestock,” he said.
Few
of the people in the communities claimed that alternative lands given to them
to relocate long ago were grossly inadequate.
Usman
Baba, a victim in Ngelzarma, Fune Local Government Area, said an alternative
land was given out some 50 years ago and already been occupied.
Kawu
Bakari, another victim in Jajere, said the waters came from the uplands,
submerging their houses and farmlands.
Five killed in Adamawa
In
Adamawa, Haruna Furo, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency
Management Agency, confirmed that five people, among them, a nursing mother and
her infant, lost their lives as a result of flood.
He
said that over 120 communities in ten local government areas were affected by
the flood.
Mr.
Furo explained that the water from Kiri dam and other small rivers in the area
led to the flooding.
Speaking
on the gradual release of water from Lagdo Dam, Mr. Furo said that SEMA and
other sister agencies were monitoring the level of the water to avert repeat of
disasters experienced in the past.
He
said that the agency was still compiling the list of people affected, while
over 30,000 had so far been registered.
(NAN)
No comments:
Post a Comment