HoRs wants FG to relocate Nigerians from flood-prone zones
By Tom Okpe
The House of Representatives has urged the nation’s emergency body, National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) to liaise with relevant Agencies of the Federal Government to ensure relocation of citizens from areas mostly affected by flood, in the country.
The House also said NEMA should ensure the Federal Government, stockpiles sufficient quantities of temporary shelter materials, food and nutrition items and medicine to support people in flood-prone areas.
The House invited the Director-General of NEMA and other Agencies of the Federal Government to brief the House on measures in place to mitigate flood disasters and management of socio-economic impact on Nigerians, resident in the flood-prone areas.
These resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on: “Need to Commence Active Measures to Mitigate Probable Devastation of a Severe Flood Season and prepare Palliative Intervention to Prevent worst Socio-Economic Consequences for Nigerians in Affected Areas, moved by Femi Gbajabiamila, (APC, Lagos) at plenary on Wednesday.
In adopting an amendment to the motion, the House called for the implementation of the Presidential Committee on Management of Floods and Disasters in the country.
Also, while moving the motion, Gbajabiamila noted that a large portion of the country from North to South, East to West is prone to annual destructive flooding incidents which recurring events have, in recent years, increased significantly in severity and extent of devastation of lives and property.
“The House notes that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet) in January this year released seasonal climate prediction with a forecast of early onset of rain across the country and heavy rains throughout the season, the prediction of an early rainy season has already come to pass, with every reason to expect the forecast of a heavy rainy season, coming to fruition.
“Concerned that the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook prepared by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency Shows that 178, (One Hundred and Seventy-Eight) Local Government Areas in 32, (thirty-two) States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory fall within the highly probable flood risk areas.
“Aware that Nigeria is yet to recover from the 2022 flood, which affected more than 4 million Nigerians, displaced over two million people, caused death of six hundred and sixty-five, (665) people, damaged about three hundred and fifty-five thousand nine hundred and eighty-six, (355,986) houses and homesteads, destroying an estimated total of nine hundred and forty-four thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine, (944,989) hectares of farmland.
“Also aware that the experience of the 2022 flood caused the Federal Government of Nigeria to constitute a Presidential Committee to develop a comprehensive Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disasters in Nigeria, the Action Plan proposes structural and non-structural measures, land and water management systems and better coordination amongst stakeholders across the Federal and State Governments to ensure
effective flood management in Nigeria.”
The former Speaker noted that with sufficient preparation and collaboration between the Federal and State Governments, the country can mitigate loss of life and socio-economic hardships caused by these recurring flooding
events.
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“Cognizant of need for the Federal Government and State Governments to commence active measures to mitigate probable devastation of Severe Flood Season and prepare palliative and intervention measures to prevent worst Socio-economic consequences for Nigerians in the affected areas,” he added.
Adopting the motion, the House encouraged communication between the Federal Government and the State Governments
to ensure effective collaboration to prevent worst outcomes in over flooding zones.
