Flood: Benue govt urges residents to relocate to safe areas

Following the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet)’s prediction of an impending flood in Benue, the state government has advised residents living along flood-prone areas to relocate to safer areas.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr James Iorpuu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Makurdi that government had also taken steps to mitigate the negative effects of the impending flood.

Iorpuu said that the ministry and the committee on flood embarked on a series of enlightenment campaigns.

The permanent secretary advised those residing on waterways to immediately relocate to safe areas.

According to him, the government cleared all blocked drainages within the urban areas for easy flow of water.

Iorpuu, who is also a member of the Technical Committee on Disaster Response in Nigeria, said the government also launched e-emergency platforms on how emergencies are reported, analysed, and responded to.

He said the ministry had already written to the government requesting funds to take care of impending flood victims.

Iorpuu, who is also the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, said the ongoing multi-billion naira Idye drainage was one of the proactive measures taken by government to mitigate the impact of flood.

“I also want to use this platform again to appeal to Benue people to vacate flood-prone areas.

“They know themselves. Year in, year out, when there is a flood, they vacate, and when it is no more, they go back to their shelters along the riverbank.

“Some have built their houses on waterways; we are begging them to vacate such areas. You also see what the governor is doing within the state capital, building roads and water channels for free flow of water.

“This flood is not only going to affect animals; it will affect human beings and farmlands, amongst others.

“We need to change our attitude on waste management too. You saw what happened in Adamawa a few weeks ago, so I am begging people to move to safe areas,” he said.

NAN reports that the government had already earmarked camps for would-be Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Meanwhile, a Makurdi resident, Mr James Ejembi, told NAN that the only permanent solution to the problem was the dredging of River Benue and the completion of Kamshimbila Dam.

Ejembi said that the dredging and completion of the dam would absorb the water that comes from Lagdo Dam, located in Cameroon. (NAN)

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