Following the havoc unceasingly wreaked by floods across the country this rainy season,   the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Wednesday, declared some of the worst hit states as national disaster zones.
Kogi, Niger, Anambra and Delta States have been ravaged by the natural disaster in the last month. There had been loss of lives, valuable properties, farmlands, crops and countless livestock. Hundreds of people in these affected states have been rendered homeless.
As usual, while making the declaration in Lokoja shortly after assessing the level of devastation in some parts of the state, the Director-General of the agency, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, promised that the agency would forward a memo to the president for a lasting solution in line with the relevant provisions of the National Disaster Response Plan to tackle the menace permanently.
And there lies the crux of this article. Why do we always have to wait until situations get out of hand before taking action in this country?  Year after year the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) predicts heavy rains and flooding but rather than take proactive measures to either avert it or mitigate the impact, the people, the government and the agencies concerned go to sleep. When the disaster strikes we start crying woes and those in authority make their usual promise to avert a recurrence of the unfortunate incident even when they would do nothing.
One recalls how the  Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, at an event some months ago said, “We approved such an idea to dredge Rivers Niger and Benue, which we have found very useful and we will do a lot to safeguard the banks of the rivers and the communities downstream from excessive flooding. We need to look at a realistic solution to this problem. The dredging of these rivers is very important in addressing this flood issue and we will do something about it.” Several months down the road, has anything been done in this direction?
In 2012, the country was hit by the worst flooding which affected 32 states, killing more than 360 people and displacing almost two million others. The seriousness of the flooding was attributed to a combination of two events: very heavy local rainfall and the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon. The federal government that year, made a firm promise to address the causes of the disaster in order to prevent a recurrence of the sad situation. Has this promise been fulfilled?
Flooding is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global problem which experts say is majorly caused by climate change, which has been shown to contribute to more extreme storms and rainfalls. But the difference between our nation and other nations is that while leaders of these nations take proactive measures to fight flood, our leaders are seen to be doing nothing. They wait until the calamity befalls on us then they start running around and make all kinds of promises. Once the rain recedes and dry season sets in everybody forgets that we have flood problem in Nigeria.
Some environmentalists have attributed the problem of flood in the country to bad policies. They say a situation where the government at the center is solely responsible for everything that has to do with water, the states cannot do much because the action point where the corrective measure should be taken in order to prevent flood belongs to the federal government.
They maintain that unless there is devolution of power which will empower states to dredge rivers, we will continue to experience flooding annually, advising that the major rivers should be dredged so that more water can be emptied into the seas and subsequently to the ocean.
Other people have also blamed the disaster on rapid urban growth, poor planning and uncontrolled development. And the big question is, what are the authorities responsible for urban planning at both federal and state levels doing. Why can’t they ensure that builders and developers do the right thing? Why not empower states to dredge rivers in their areas if that will solve the perennial flood issue?
Indeed, our leaders have to take adequate steps that will show that the country is serious about fighting flood. They should ensure that road contractors provide standard drainages when constructing roads and see to it that the water is properly channeled.
Government should not wait for citizens to be chased out of their homes by flood or for thousands of lives to be lost before relocating people living in flood-prone areas.
However, while the government and its agencies are looking into the above suggestions to tackle flooding, individuals are advised to stop the dumping of refuse in water channels and blocking the few available drainages with refuse. We should always consider how our daily activities affect the environment and adopt environmental-friendly attitudes to safeguard our environment.
No doubt, the problem of flooding in different parts of the country can be addressed if government, regulatory agencies and the citizens do what is expected of them and at the right time. Providing material support to flood victims is appreciable, but channeling such resources into preventing the menace as much as possible will make more meaning.

Calista Ezeaku