Flood - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Philip Daniel Yatai
Nov, Sat, 2024

Metro

FCT reopens barricaded slip road, begins dry season sensitisation

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By Philip Yatai

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has reopened the barricaded slip road connecting Goodluck Jonathan Expressway with Ring Road II at Galadimawa Interchange.

The acting Director-General of the Department, Mr Abdulrahman Mohammed, explained that the slip road was barricaded on June 25 to mitigate flooding during the rainy season.

Mohammed stated that the road was reopened to ease traffic flow, as the rainy season had ended.

“The onset of the rain in Abuja is usually in the month of May and the slip road is usually flooded every raining season, hence the need to barricade the road.

“To the glory of God, no life was lost in this area since 2020 because we made it a tradition to block the road during the rainy season,” he said.

He commended residents and stakeholders for their understanding and support throughout the rainy season.

The acting D-G also announced the commencement of the 2024 dry season sensitisation campaign against incessant fire outbreaks in the FCT.

Mohammed advised residents to be cautious while handling cooking gas, petroleum products, electrical appliances, and other inflatable items or chemicals.

He urged residents to keep cooking gas outside their kitchens and avoid storing petrol or inflammable chemicals in cars and in their homes.

He also advised residents to make sure they have fire extinguisher in their cars, homes and offices to control fire during outbreak.

He further urged residents to be careful when burning bushes, adding that anyone who wishes to do so, for whatever reason, should monitor it to prevent spreading to unintended areas.

Mr Richard Dauda, Director of Engineering Services, Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA), stated that the slip road was part of old road infrastructure in the area.

Dauda explained that the road would be reconstructed and elevated to solve the problem permanently.

He explained that once the ongoing construction of Galadimawa Interchange was completed, a bridge would be constructed to replace the temporary culvert contributing to flooding of the road.”(NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Tosin Kolade
Nov, Thu, 2024

Environment

Prioritise flood emergency preparedness, FG to states

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By Tosin Kolade

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has urged states to prioritise emergency preparedness over reliance on federal intervention during disasters.

Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, the ministry’s Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, made the call at the WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

Speaking on flood preparedness and response, Ugoh noted that many states relied heavily on federal government’s intervention and emphasised that states must prioritise awareness to prevent emergencies.

She stated the need for communities and states to take measures for flood prevention, adding that this would help reduce diseases such as cholera.

“Flood preparedness is key, we hope to see state governments take ownership of emergency preparedness and response, this will help the country”.

Ishaq Ado, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) representative, said the agency was worried about states’ reliance on federal funds during emergency situations.

Ado outlined NEMA’s efforts to improve emergency response for the 2024 climate-related disasters, including risk mapping of vulnerable areas based on yearly forecasts.

He highlighted major challenges, such as inadequate funding and equipment, which limited NEMA’s response capacity.

“Only N4 billion of the approved N10 billion flood intervention fund has been received, and essential equipment like rescue boats, life jackets, and mobile clinics is lacking”.

Ado stressed the need for state agencies to take a more active role and reduce reliance on federal support for better disaster coordination.

He added that NEMA anticipated increased funding to aid 2024 flood recovery and prepared for potential 2025 flooding.

Mr Attah Benson, National Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation revealed ongoing efforts to combat cholera and waterborne disease outbreaks in states like Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Enugu, Anambra, and Jigawa.

He stressed the need for increased mobilisation, particularly in high-risk states such as Borno, Jigawa, Anambra, and Enugu.

Benson also referenced the WASHNORM 3 report, which identified several gaps in Nigeria’s water infrastructure, noting that 530,142 of 2.3 million water facilities were non-functional.

“The report pointed to poorly implemented projects, with contractors failing to involve local communities, resulting in unsustainable or unusable facilities”.

He suggested that states consider alternatives, such as centralised water systems in urban areas, rather than relying solely on handpumps suited for rural communities.

Jessica Akinrogbe, WASH focal point, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, reported that cholera cases were recorded in 36 states and the FCT, with Lagos having the highest number at 4,627 cases.

She noted that Borno and Katsina had 2,483 and 2,085 cases, respectively, in epidemiology week 44.

Akinrogbe stated that while the cholera trend was lower compared to previous years, greater coordination among stakeholders was needed to reverse the current trend.

Representatives from the UN Children’s Fund, Society for Family Health, and U-Save Foundation also provided updates on emergency interventions and the WASH sectors. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Philip Daniel Yatai
Oct, Mon, 2024

Foreign

Flood: Chinese coy donates food supplies to Borno

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By Sarafina Christopher

The China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), has donated more than 11 tons of food supplies to the Borno Government for distribution to those affected by the recent flood in the state.

The supplies to aid the flood victims were presented during a ceremony in Maiduguri, attended by Gov. Babagana Zulum, heads of relevant government departments and representatives from the Chinese firm.

Liu Shuai, a representative of CMEC in a statement on Sunday, said the initiative was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility and reflected its commitment to the wellbeing of local communities in Nigeria.

He recalls that on Sept. 10, Maiduguri, the Borno capital, and its environs experienced their worst flood in 30 years, resulting in many deaths, destruction of property and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents.

“As a central Chinese enterprise operating in the Nigerian market for many years, CMEC has consistently monitored the livelihoods of local residents and actively fulfilled its social responsibilities,” Shuai said.

He said that CMEC quickly mobilised support for its local staff right after the flood and launched a special assistance plan for local government and flood victims.

“In addition to the food supplies, CMEC will continue to increase its investments and actively participate in post-disaster reconstruction efforts to assist the government and people of Borno State in overcoming these challenges as swiftly as possible,” he said.

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno expressed gratitude for the support provided by CMEC, assuring that his administration would complete post-disaster reconstruction on time.

The governor also highlighted the significant role of the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP) project, undertaken by CMEC, in the socio-economic development of the local community.

He expressed hope for more extensive cooperation with CMEC in the future.(NAN)

Edited by Taiye Agbaje and Chijioke Okoronkwo