THE Kogi Government has appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders to salvage the state from its current flood disaster ravaging it.
Mr Sanusi Yahaya, Kogi Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, made the call after an inspection tour to some submerged communities by the river flooding in Lokoja on Saturday.
The commissioner said that the continuous rise in the water level of the two major rivers (Niger and Benue) in the confluence state, necessitated the appeal to the federal government, saying the havoc was beyond what the state could handle.
According to him, we have just been informed by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) that the recent upsurge of flooding was the excessive spilling of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroun, which come through river Benue as a source affecting other States including Kogi.
He said several communities in nine local government areas were currently experiencing river flooding which includes: Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Kogi/Kotonkarfe, Bassa, Omala, Ofu, Igalamela, Idah and Ibaji.
He said that the residents of these communities at the river banks had been advised to seek alternative accommodation especially those in rented apartments for their safety.
”Our people are suffering even though the state government has taken some steps to identify the victims and see what we can do.
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”The community members have already been advised to relocate, but many of them are challenged in terms of places to relocate to but then safety first.
”We are again appealing to the Federal government and other stakeholders about this perennial issue of flood in Kogi.
”Even though we are working for a permanent solution to be able to relocate these people, but many houses were affected and quite capital intensive.
”We are already overwhelmed as a state; we need the support of the federal government.
”We need federal government’s intervention particularly through NEMA and other agencies in collaboration with the state; it is beyond the state’s capacity,” he restated.
The commissioner noted that though the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had sent down a team who went around the state for assessment, however, more people were been displaced on a daily basis.
”So, as a state, we are overwhelmed, and we are calling on the federal government to come to our aid,” Yahaya said.
He appealed to the federal government to come to their aid to augment the efforts of the state government through the provision of relief materials and permanent relocation of victims to safer accommodation.
The communities visited were Adankolo Estate, Integrity Chapel area, back of Federal University Lokoja, Ganaja village road, among others.
Some residents of the areas: Musa Moses, Malama Hauwa and Yahaya Amdife in their separate comments, appealed to the state and the federal government to come to their aid with relief material and provide them with alternative accommodation.
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