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Despite the early warning, some parts of the country are now taken over by deluge of flood waters ravaging places, killing and destroying property and farm lands worth billions of Naira

By Olu Ojewale

The warning alert had gone out early enough. On Friday, May 11, 2018, the National Hydrological Services Agencies, NHISA, released the 2018 flood outlooks in 35 states of Nigeria, stating that flooding would be severe this year like never before in the past six years. It projected that Sokoto, Niger, Benue, Anambra, Ogun, Osun, Cross River and Yobe states would have high risks of river flooding. It also indicated that Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, and Ondo states might experience coastal flooding. It attributed this to a likely rise in the sea level and tidal surge, which would impact many areas of human endeavours including sacking from and trapping people in their homes, as well as disrupting fishing and coastal transportation.

Also on Friday, September 7, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the NHISA warned that 12 states across the country would soon experience flooding due to torrential rain falls. The two agencies gave the warning during an emergency stakeholders’ meeting.  Clem Nze, director, Engineering Hydrology, NHISA, listed the states to include Kogi, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Edo, Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states from the River Niger axis. He also listed Taraba, Benue and Adamawa as states to be affected from the River Benue axis. He warned that the flood might be imminent, noting that all the indices that played out before the 2012 flooding had already manifested. He said the decision to raise the alarm was to ensure preparedness among stakeholders and residents of flood-prone communities.

Nze stated that as at that Friday, the height of River Niger in Lokoja, was at 10.1 meters as against the 9.74 meters in 2012, adding that it continued to rise on hourly basis. He said the water levels were increasing due to the opening of the Shiroro, Kanji and Jebba dams. He warned: “As at today, our hydrological measuring station downstream the confluence in Lokoja recorded a stage height of 10.1m and a discharge value of 21,326 cubic metres per second. As against lower values of 9.74m and 19,762 cubic meters per second recorded on the corresponding date of 2012 when the flood occurred…

“By the 2018 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction released earlier in the year, September 28, is the earliest cessation date of rainfall in Sokoto and Katsina while December is the earliest cessation date for the southern coastal cities. The implication of this is that, the northern part of the country should be expecting more rains in the next three weeks,” he said.

On his part, Mustapha Maihaja, the director general, NEMA, said the emergency meeting was called following the update on the flood situation received from the NHISA and described the development as alarming and urgent. “If it is red, surely we should act and part of the acting is the suggestion to set up a committee of five groups of three personnel from various sector to visit the front line states. It is for them to meet with the officials, go down to the villages that are really critically under threat and use all avenues to enlighten them.”

But as events unfolded after the warning, it appeared not everyone was probably listening, ready or willing to prepare for the impending disasters. That seemed to be the case as the rain floods caught several parts of the country prostrate and devastated. Consequently, several states across the country such as Kogi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Lagos, Imo states are now licking the wounds and seeking for assistance to ameliorate the devastating effects the flooding has brought to their domains.

The havoc caused by the floods has been so much that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has bee,  in past weeks, visiting some of the affected states to sympathise and offer them assistance. Although there has been no accurate casualty figure, more than 100 persons have been reportedly killed by the floods.

Kogi State is among states worst hit by the carnage of flooding. A confluence state, more than 200 communities in 10 of its local government areas were submerged under water by the floods.

Irked by the situation, Governor Yahaya Bello took the matter to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, September 17, in Abuja. Buhari assured him of the federal government prompt intervention.

After the meeting with the president, Bello told State Correspondence that: “As usual I came to brief Mr. President on situation report and the happenings in my state periodically. I am sure you are all aware of the flood problem that is happening all over the country and Kogi is worst hit being the confluence state of the two rivers. “So, we are worst hit and I needed to come and present the report to him myself. Even though I sincerely appreciate Mr. President for deploying relevant agencies like NEMA, National Emergency Management Agency, and all the security agencies to come to our aid.”

The president’s prompt assurance of help apparently extended to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo visiting the state on Monday, September 25. During the visit, Osinbajo in company with Bello toured areas in the state affected by the flood, especially in the Ibaji Local Government Area. He pledged the federal government support for those affected by the flooding ravage. He said: “It is the intention of the federal government, working with the state government, to offer some rehabilitation and some comfort in whatever way possible to those who have lost their farmlands and those who have lost their homes.

“Land and property are under water and after this period when the water recedes, that is really when the hard work begins because those who have lost farmlands need to be restored somehow and need to be compensated. I hope that in the next few weeks, we would be able to return people not just to their farmlands but also to their homes.”

The vice-president visited Anambra State on Thursday, September 24, after visiting the adjoining states and assured of the federal government’s support with promise to step up relief efforts. The vice-president, who was received by Willie Obiano, the state governor, was taken by helicopter to have aerial survey of the flooded communities mainly in Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, Awka North, Onitsha North and Onitsha South Local Government Areas. Osinbajo similarly had a boat ride through Umueze Anam, one of the flooded communities, to ascertain the levels of damage done by the flooding and witness first hand, the living conditions of community members yet to relocate to holding centres. Commiserating with the people, Osinbajo pledged the support of the federal government for the state.

At Umueze Anam, Anambra West LGA, he stated that the government had already declared the area disaster zone and would deploy more resources to alleviate the sufferings of the people. The vice-president also pledged that the federal government would send in mobile water treatment plants to all affected communities and holding centres as quickly as possible. He commended Obiano for prompt response to the situation.

The vice-president was accompanied on the tour by Chris Ngige, minister of Labour and Employment, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and director-general, Mustapha Maihaja, NEMA.

Interestingly, the devastation in Anambra State would probably have been heavier if the state had not prepared for it. Based on the earlier warning, Obiano reportedly held preparatory emergency meetings with stakeholder organisations such as the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the security agencies – Army, Police, Navy and Civil Defence Corps – to outline strategies to cope with the looming disaster. The meetings were based on the early warnings and predictions by the NHISA and Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET, to gear up for prompt intervention.

Paul Odenigbo, executive secretary of Anambra SEMA, disclosed that the Anambra State government approved not less than 28 holding centres to mitigate the effects of the disasters. He said that already, nine of such centres had been activated to take care of displaced persons, where they would be temporarily accommodated and catered for until the water receded.

The most severely affected communities in Anambra are Anambra East and West, parts of Ayamelum and Ogbaru Local Government Areas. Obiano and Nkem Okeke, his deputy, have hardly rested since the disaster came knocking as they have been touring the affected communities to plead with trapped persons to evacuate to holding centres and re-assure victims of government’s resolve to assist them to mitigate the effects of their displacements. They have ensured the operational take-off of the holding centres as well activating feeding arrangements for the displaced.

Perhaps, one of the big concerns for the government is the farmlands of Coscharis Rice Farm, one of the major rice farms in Anambra State, which has been submerged by flooding. Even the road leading to the farm was also rendered inaccessible. A drone had to be rented in order to assess the extent of damage; and from observation about 1,500 hectares of the rice farm has been submerged by the raging floodwaters.

Nkem Okeke, Anambra State deputy governor, who, on the governor’s directive, inspected the extent of damage, sympathised with the management of the farm over the incalculable losses. He described the situation as extensive. “I presume, judging from the topography of the farm that the company must have taken precautionary measures in insuring the farm against such losses and emergencies. I just hope that the incident will minimally affect this year’s rice production.

“Already, the governor has resolved to ensure that enough rice is produced in the state for consumption and export to other parts of the nation. But when the need arises, government will help,’’ Okeke said.

Afam Mbanefo, commissioner for Agriculture, explained that the state usually based its rice projection in line with the production from core rice investors in the state including Coscharis Farms. “I have anticipated a decrease in this year’s projection as a result of the flood disaster. But I promise more preventive measures against the re-occurrence of flooding on this farmland. There is need for two cycles of rice planting here to enable the company to meet its annual rice target,’’ Mbanefo said.

Shepherd Hurudza, farm operation manager, said he appreciated the state government’s concerns over the company. “The estimated damage on the farm has yet to be determined as the flooding keeps spreading,’’ he said.

In July, rice farmers in Kebbi experienced a similar devastation when flooding washed away their farmlands. In sympathy with the people of the state on the flood that destroyed their farmlands and engendered considerable losses of crops and homes, Buhari said in a statement made available to journalists by Garba Shehu, his senior special assistant on Media and Publicity, “I am highly touched by the sheer scale of the losses suffered by our hardworking farmers in Kebbi State. This sad news couldn’t have come at a worse time for this administration because of the role of Kebbi State farmers in supporting the government’s initiative to promote local rice production as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on importation of the commodity.

“This flood disaster represents a setback for the efforts to boost local rice production in the country for which Kebbi State is playing a leading role.” Apart from creating job opportunities and decent incomes for farmers, Buhari noted that agriculture plays a key role in the economy of any country.

“When our farmers are hit by these kinds of large-scale losses on account of natural disasters, the government should be genuinely concerned, especially as this unfortunate event occurred at a critical time when my administration is pursuing a policy to restore the primacy of agriculture in our national life,” the president added. He, however, urged the affected farmers not to despair. He assured them that they will not be forgotten by the federal government.

Incidentally, Shehu himself had cause to lament recently when his rice farmland in Hadejia, Jigawa State. He did not disclose the scale of his losses.

The federal government delegation led by the vice-president has been to Niger State as well. Osinbajo was in the state on Wednesday, September 19, on a similar mission where he commiserated with the victims of the flood that recently ravaged the state. Niger was one of the four states in the country where the NEMA has declared a national disaster as heavy seasonal rains have caused the Niger and Benue rivers to burst their banks, flooding communities, farms and trapping tens of thousands of people in their homes.

The vice-president has also visited Benue, Ogun and Delta states where flooding has ravaged their lands. He also assured them of the federal government’s assistance in getting back their normal life styles.

That notwithstanding, the likes of Kano State is one of the major states that will be willing to receive a federal government’s assistance in tackling the havoc that has been visited upon it through the flooding. But in the meantime, the state government has deployed about N100 million in emergency aids to ameliorate the effects of the ravage on the public.

Indeed, the persistent rainfalls brought down heavy floods, which caused serious havoc in the state. On Monday, September 17, the state government confirmed the death of 31 people and destruction of more than 10,000 houses during the recent flood disaster in 15 local government areas of the state. Ali Bashir, the executive secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency, SERERA, disclosed this in an interview with journalist said that the cost of the disaster, which wreaked havoc on more than 10,000 houses in the affected areas, was estimated at more than N5 billion.

“Thirty one people lost their lives and more than 10,000 houses that are estimated at over N5 billion were affected. Most of the affected houses were either totally or partially destroyed,” Bashir said. He explained that no fewer than 35,000 farmers were also affected by the disaster in eight local government areas of the state. He said some of the farmlands were ‎submerged by water while others were completely washed away by the flood. “The farm produce destroyed include maize, cotton, white beans, onion, rice, groundnut, millet and other cash crops,” he said. Bashir said that 8,000 farmers were affected in Wudil, 6,000 in Warawa, 2,000 in Gaya and 3,000 in ‎Gabasawa among others.

The executive secretary admitted that the agency received alert from the NHSA and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency that 20 local governments of the state would be affected by flooding. The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, recently disclosed that its members in Kano state lost more than 5, 000 hectares of rice farms to flood in 10 local government areas of the state.

In any case, the NEMA in a situation report released on Monday, September 24, disclosed that about 441,251 people had been affected by flood in about 50 local government areas in the country. According to the report, the flooding has left 141,369 people internally displaced, while about 192 people sustained injuries as a result of the flood with a total of 108 lives lost to the disaster. The report made available by Sanni Datti, the spokesman for NEMA, showed that about 13,031 houses had been destroyed as a result of the flood while 122,653 hectares of agricultural land had been damaged.

A breakdown of the 441,251 people affected by the flood showed that Kogi State suffered the highest, with 118,199 people affected. Following closely were by Kebbi, Anambra, Niger with 94,991, 64,331 and 51,719 affected people, respectively.

Other affected states were Delta with 37,017 people; Edo, 31,113 people; Kwara, 41,680; and Benue, 2,201.

The NEMA report said a total sum of N12.13bn would be required to provide relief materials to those affected by the flood, only about N3bn, which is 25 percent of the sum, was available. This, it noted, had resulted in a shortfall of N9.13bn.

The report stated, “Since late August, heavy rains across Nigeria have caused large-scale flooding that has already impacted 441,251 people.

“However, numbers are expected to rise further as assessments are still ongoing in some states, including Rivers and Bayelsa, which are believed to be amongst the worst hit.

“As water levels have continued to rise in Rivers and Bayelsa states, some communities have been submerged under water.

“To avert the loss of lives and injuries, NEMA, in collaboration with the military, has started immediate evacuation of families that are still trapped in their homes.

“The affected families are being relocated to nearby camps and there is an urgent need for assistance in terms of food and non-food items.”

Apparently irked by the gory images and reports of flooding in his state, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Wednesday, September 26, directed the release of N50 million for the purchase of relieve materials for victims of the disaster. He expressed concern over the flood situation in the state, describing it as another pathetic disaster and ordered the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and chairmen of the local government councils to work to avert further causalities.

The governor also directed Ebitimitula Etebu, state commissioner for Health, to mobilise health officials to provide immediate medical intervention in order to avoid any possible outbreak of epidemic caused by the flood.

He called on those who reside in flood prone areas to immediately vacate and move to more safer places or the camps that are being set up by the SEMA, insisting that no life must be lost.

In a similar message, Obiano has also asked those residing in flood-prone communities of Anambra state to relocate. The warning came following increasing havoc being wreaked in such areas.

On Wednesday, September 26, Benedict Izuchukwu, a nine-year-old girl and primary three pupil of the Light International School, Okoti, in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state were reportedly killed in a flood.

In a public service announcement by C-Don Adinuba, commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in the state, the state government named flood flashpoints as Ogbaru, Ayamelum, Anambra West and Anambra East. His statement said in part: “The government of Anambra State has renewed its directive to all residents within the coastal areas in four local government areas to immediately leave their places in view of the raging flood water threatening to overrun the areas…

“The state government has made arrangements for the effective and efficient evacuation of residents of these local government areas and relocate them to designated holding centres.

“The centres have been provided with sanitary facilities, water boreholes, beds, cooking utensils, and foodstuffs. A number of water ambulances and other marine transport vehicles are on standby.”

That notwithstanding. Nigerians will continue to experience devastation of avoidable incidents of such magnitude if care is not seriously taken. But let’s hope that as the nature takes its toll, the human beings are ready to play their own parts in order to avoid the scale of calamities being experienced every year when it rains.

– Sept. 28, 2018 @ 17:19 GMT |

Tags: Nigerians groan under Flood Disasters