In spite of the alarm that frontline states along the River Benue will soon be invaded by massive floods, evacuation of residents of vulnerable communities has not started, ANN have revealed.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, had, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, asked state governors to immediately evacuate citizens from flood-prone communities to safer places in order to avoid loss of lives and property.
The minister had warned that the opening of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon would lead to floods in all the states on the path of the River Benue within seven days.
Before she spoke, the National Emergency Management Agency had, on Sunday, said Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Taraba and Adamawa states would be directly affected, and that the impact would also be felt in Plateau, Delta, Gombe, Bauchi and Cross River states.
NEMA recalled that it had, even before the Lagdo Dam was opened, asked the states to evacuate people from vulnerable communities.
Experts say Nigeria had not learnt any lesson despite experiencing flooding for many years with attendant loss of lives and property.
There was no noticeable permanent solution against flood in any of the frontline states, as people living around river banks only vacate such places when it is evident they would be consumed; only to return to such dangerous places once the waters receded.
Taraba
Our correspondent learnt that some rice farms were already flooded owing to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam. A resident of Sheka in Gassol Local Government Area, Dauda Lawal, said residents, who are mainly fishermen and farmers, said communities in Sheka and other villages usually relocate to Mutumbiyu, Tutare, Taka Wurkum between August and September.
This is even as communities in Zip, Kwatan Nanido, Amar, Dampar and Kwatanta Taru in Gassol, Ibbi and Lau LGAs of the state have started relocating with their families to areas far away from the river.
This followed a radio announcement by the state government warning communities in six local government areas located by the River Benue of an impending flood as a result of the opening of the Lagdo Dam.
Benue govt yet to provide evacuation space
In Benue State, evacuation has not started though the State Emergency Management Agency said it had disseminated information warning the residents at risk to move to higher grounds. SEMA’s Information Officer, Charity Agber, told our correspondent that the state government had not yet provided a space for flood vulnerable residents.
She, however, noted that the agency had stepped up sensitisation and awareness to ensure people were not caught unawares.
The spokesperson for the state’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kelas Onum, said what needed to be done had been put in place, adding that people were expected to evacuate themselves from their homes. Residents of high-risk communities like Gyado Villa, Kutcha-Utebe and Wurukum in Benue State were said to have moved out of their homes.
A resident of Gyado Villa, Pyhlis Agber, said: “It happened to me last year and my entire household items were lost to the flood. I don’t want a repeat of that experience because we (residents) have seen the River Benue rising and the water already coming close,” Agber said.
Residents of Angwa-Wurukum, Wadata and several others prone to flooding said they were still waiting for the state government to provide them a place to relocate to.
Adamawa
Communities along River Benue have not yet started relocating to higher grounds.
Residents along the banks of River Benue said they were still monitoring the situation as the water level was tolerable with farming activities taking place.
A resident of Girei, Joe Nathan said he would evacuate when the flood began to pose actual threats to the community, saying he could not rush to abandon his means of livelihood.
Executive Secretary, Adamawa SEMA, Muhammad Amin Sulaiman said the state had put all its relevant agencies and partners on alert for possible evacuation.
He said people had been advised to leave flood-prone areas even as the agency prepared for contingencies.
Kogi to convene meeting on evacuation process
Residents at the flood-prone zone in Lokoja have started relocating to safer areas in the city. Our correspondent learnt that several residents of Adankolo yesterday evacuated their belongings.
“I have reached out to my uncle at the Lokogoma phase 11 area in Lokoja to allow us to pack our belongings to one of his vacant rooms. I don’t want to wait for the government or any other organisation to tell me before I pack out. I know what I suffered in last year’s flooding, said Hajia Jemila Adamu, a resident.
President, Ibaji Progressive Youths Association, Kevin Apeh, said nothing was on the ground to enhance relocation of the inhabitants of the community.
“The water collected from torrential rainfall has already taken over Ibaji land, and the council has been cut off from the Idah axis, the only possible road to the Ibaji communities. The state Commissioner for Environment, Victor Omofaye, said a meeting to fine-tune the evacuation process would be held in Lokoja today.
“Critical stakeholders are meeting on Wednesday to finalise all issues concerning the evacuation and relocation of those residents living at the flood prone areas in the state.
“In our proactive move, landscaping in several street roads and clearing of drainages to allow free flow of water have been carried out.
“Refugee camps across the state, including flood estates in Lokoja, were being put in proper shape for the expected flood victims to start moving in. Hopefully, after Wednesday’s stakeholders meeting, relocation of people will commence,” he said.
He said the government was striving to convince those people laying claim to their ancestral lands to see reasons to relocate to a safer place to avoid unnecessary hardships during flooding.
“The government is telling them that the vagaries of nature know no ancestral land. We’re saying we value their lives, impressing them that securing their lives first is more important than holding on to ancestral land and dying from the range of flooding”, he said.
