NEMA Alerts On More Floods

TheNationalEmergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday said it is on alert as the water level across the country continues to rise. The Director General of NEMA, Engr Mustapha Maihaja, said this in Ilorin on Friday when NEMA team paid a visit to the Commanding Officer, 222 Battalion Rece, Major Emmanuel Okoye, at the Sobi Military Cantonment.

According to the Director General, the NEMA team was in Ilorin, to assess the preparedness of the Army Disaster Response Unit in case of disaster in Kwara, Kogi and Niger states.

NEMA Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Akugbe Iyamu, who represented the DG emphasised that all disaster response units across the country have been placed on red alert.

Air Commodore Iyamu noted that water level across the country has been rising consistently as a result of heavy rainfall.

“As at Thursday, the water level was 10.84 at the confluence in Lokoja, this is approaching the level experienced in 2012, which was about 12. Putting that into focus and looking at that in perspective, we are building a response team to adequately address it.

“The DG has put all the response agencies on red alert to be mainstreamed if the situation gets to catastrophic level,” Iyamu added.

Iyamu said the agency has identified 12 frontline states that may be prone to flood this year, adding that flood in those states may occur any time.

“The DG has formed six teams to go round the 12 frontline states to ascertain the preparedness of the response agencies there and to ensure that those that are vulnerable and threatened by flood are evacuated to safe areas,” he said.

Earlier, the Commanding Officer, 222 Battalion, Major Okoye, highlighted the disaster situation in Kwara and the area most prone to flood.

He said over 2, 000 hectares of farmland were destroyed by flood in Patigi, Lafiaji and Shonga.

The Commanding Officer also said a cemetery and school in Oloje area of Ilorin were affected by flood.

Okoye listed the challenges of the response unit to include lack of resources, vehicles and communication equipment.

He called for adequate synergy between NEMA and all response agencies in the country.