2022 Floods: Jigawa SEMA Raises Alarm About Possible Flooding

… Says over 2000 people in IDPs Camps still facing threats

By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse

The Jigawa state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has warned that the government could incur more loses if it fails to urgently resettle victims of the 2022 flood disaster in the state.

The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Dr. Haruna Mairiga, who made the observation during a media chat in Dutse, said the warming had become imperative giving the approach of the next raining season which could be accompanied by another round of flooding, going by the recent prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Nimet) of possible flooding this year.

It could be recalled that well over 57,000 were reported to have lost their lives in the 2022 flooding in Jigawa with 72,000 others forced out of their homes with several thousands sustaining life-threatening injury.

Similarly, over 257 schools and health facilities were also lost to the flooding.

However, the SEMA boss, while answering reporters’ question confirmed that, the chapter of 2022 flooding was yet to be closed because there were a lot of pending developments, which require government’s attention.

According to him, “You cannot close the chapter of the 2022 flooding in the state without addressing certain fundamental issues as the rehabilitation of victims. The aftermath of the 2022 Floods is still open because we’re still coping with the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the state, of which if nothing is done, it can over stretch our budgetary allocations.

“Right now, we have about 2,000 people in the IDPs camps as a result of the 2022 flooding, this is just a conservative estimate figure because the figure could be more than that. So government has to make provisions for them by either making provision through the provision of space, where they can stay permanently for rehabilitation or by offering capital for them to start business of their own.

“Apart from government, individuals and corporate organizations can also can contribute towards ensuring that, the welfare of the people are given pre-eminence, because if we leave the people at the mercy of the weather, chances are that a lot of them would not be able to go back to their original homes. Unless that is done you cannot close the chapter.”

He said residents of the state have a responsibility of ensuring that they keep their environment clean. According to him, “Residents have a duty to clean their environment. We hope to join hands with the Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders they join hands and ensure that all the debris are cleared to allow for free flow of water in the areas.”