FLOOD SUBMERGES 5 COMMUNITIES IN KOGI
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By Sunmisola Shodayo
The Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Mouktar Atima, has stated that floods have entirely inundated the Ibaji Local Government Area in the eastern senatorial district of the state, urging communities situated along the riverbank to promptly relocate to safer areas.
The SEMA leader, who spearheaded the Emergency Response and Critical team during an advocacy visit to the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adams Abdullazeez, remarked that the state has become increasingly perilous due to the escalating water levels in the Rivers Niger and Benue.
He noted, based on assessments from specialists and managers of various dams throughout the country, that excessive water will commence flowing into the Rivers Niger and Benue starting Tuesday night, resulting in an overflow of the riverbanks.
He mentioned, “258 communities in eight local government areas of the state have been marked as flood-prone areas while 42 internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) camps have been constructed to take care of those to be displaced while an emergency operations centre has been opened.
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“Already, five communities in Ibaji Local Government Area were worst hit including Ota, Ofogbo, Itima and Owara community in Kogi Local Government Area of the state.”
Atima emphasized that the state Ministry of Health plays a crucial role in disaster management, while informing the health commissioner about the rising levels of the Rivers Niger and Benue, underscoring that the state is entering a challenging phase within the next 72 hours.
The SEMA executive commended the health commissioner for his proactive strategies and the support extended to the agency, attributing the absence of casualties last year to this cooperation.
In response, the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adams Adeiza Abdullazeez, affirmed that the ministry is not solely focused on healthcare services but also on humanitarian assistance, indicating that it is fully equipped to address or mitigate any disaster within the state.
Dr. Abdullazeez indicated that the ministry has already commenced the fumigation of all 42 IDP camps in anticipation of the floods, stating that all personnel and resources have been mobilized to assist any flood victims.
He remarked, “My ministry is aware that there may be outbreak of diseases or epidemic in the various IDP camps and we are fully prepared.”
The health commissioner expressed gratitude to Governor Usman Ododo for his dedication to health matters in the state, emphasizing that due to the governor’s swift intervention during last year’s flooding, there were no fatalities recorded.
“We commend our governor for his prompt response and usual assistance to the ministry; it was indeed his quick intervention that averted loss of lives in last year’s flood, while many states recorded loss of lives, Kogi recorded additional lives as two women in the IDP gave birth to twins,” he added.
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