That NEMA’s Flood Alert

Following the persistent early rains in parts of the country, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), recently, warned of impending heavy storms and flooding within the year.

NEMA predicted that intensity of the rain suggests a disaster-prone year, and according to its South-West Coordinator, Mr Iyiola Akande, unless Nigerians brace up and adopt proactive measures to forestall disaster, the country would be worse off for it.

Already, within the month of February, Nigerians are counting their losses with the consistent heavy downpour witnessed in parts of the North, South, East and West of the country. But beyond Nigeria, the international community also recorded signs of havoc from the year’s early deluge.

Just recently, Australia suffered massive devastation arising from inundating floods which ravaged over 22 towns and displaced more than 200,000 people in one city. Regarded as the worst flooding in 50 years, the torrential rainfall, which destroyed Australia’s export port and levelled 30,000 homes in another city, was said to cover an area greater than France and Germany put together.

In the same manner, Brazil suffered from excessive flooding as the entire river banks collapsed within 24 hours north of Rio de Janeiro, killing over 500 people as cars and trucks packed atop buildings.

But while Aussies and Brazillians mourned their dead different parts of Europe, Asia, and indeed, Africa recorded flood disasters resulting in deaths and damages worth billions of dollars.  For instance, Mozambican capital, Maputo, flooded as the banks of Limpopo bursted. It was compounded by water borne diseases and tropical cyclone which claimed 800 lives.

It goes without saying, therefore, that NEMA’s warning could not have come at a better time. From all indications, the heavy rains in the year seem to have taken everybody unawares even though intermittent flashes of rain were not unusual occurrences in previous years.

Hence, in our opinion, heeding NEMA’s advice would serve as preventive measure against a repeat of the immediate past when flood devastated various parts of the country. From Lagos where 700 displaced people were moved to relief camps as Ogun river rose above its banks, to Jigawa when opened floodgates of Challawa and Tiga dams sacked two million people from their homes to Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Niger, Benue, Nassarawa, Zamfara and other parts of the North, South and East suffering massive gully erosion, the story was the same. Unfortunately, personal tragedies of those affected were deeply heart-wrenching.

But that simply explains that Nigeria is indeed as vulnerable to such natural disasters as other countries, and therefore, the authorities must exercise every caution to avert any impending danger. As such, we suggest that the first step would be to identify where the problems lie and offer solutions that go beyond enacting laws that are hardly implemented

As rightly observed by NEMA, some of the destructions by flood could have been avoided or the negative effect mitigated if proper steps were taken and environmental laws observed. Government should therefore, insist that authorities at various levels must not tolerate laxity in enforcing building codes.

Also, in the light of the adverse risks posed by excessive flooding, we subscribe to experts’ opinion that  built-up structures should not interfere with waterways, and call on relevant authorities to construct culverts, drainage channels and storm drains in the cities. Apparently, quite imperative is the need for government to provide efficient refuse disposal system that would check the lure to dump wastes indiscriminately on water passages.

Meanwhile, erring officials and fraudulent land developers who risk the lives of others by their acts of omission or commission must be penalised as a warning that nobody is above the law.

So far, the Rivers State Government has exhibited its determination to tackle environmental issues and check incessant flooding of the state. To this end, it embarked on extensive greening programme of land scaping, beautification, tree planting as well as flood and erosion control.

However, beyond creating jobs and scoring political points in these areas, we call on the state government to take advantage of hindsight and partner with environmental experts as an enduring measure to end the yearly flooding experienced in many parts of the state.

But above all, we advise the Federal Government to benefit from the experience of South African countries where a database was provided to predict flood, through a state-of-the-art early warning device called South African Development Community Hydrological cycle observing system (SADC-Hycos). We can equally replicate similar programmes here and ensure that at the federal, state and local government levels, the same rules apply and the people are not caught off guard by any raging flood.