By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse
Federal government has flagged off the distribution of relief materials to flood victims, who lost their farms and houses in Jigawa state.
The benefiting local government areas identified under the first phase include: Hadejia, Kirikasamma, Kafinhausa, Birniwa, Kaugama and Malammadori all in the north east of Jigawa while the local government areas of Birnin Kudu and Dutse, the state capital are categorized under phase 2.
The food and non-food items distributed at the Hadejia township included 7,650 bags of rice, 6,450 bags of maize, 950 of 20ltr vegetable oil, 530 cartons of reasoning, 50 bags of 20kg salt, 6,000 bags of cement, 4,400 bundles of roofing sheet, 900 bags of 3inch nail, 1,100 packets of zinc nail, 2,900 pieces of ceiling board, 2,900 pieces of blanket and 5,900 pieces of nylon mat.
The flood and windstorm had led to the death of several people and destruction of 120,000 houses and other infrastructure in different parts of the state, since the commencement of 2022 rainy season.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director-General of the Agency, Ahmed Mustapha Habib described flooding as one of the most devastating natural disasters in the world, since they claim more lives and cause more property damages than any other natural phenomena.
The NEMA boss explained that besides claiming lives, flooding affects and displaces more people than any other disaster; it also causes more damage to property, adding that at least 20 per cent of the population is at risk from one form of flooding or another.
For instance, he said last year alone, flood occurred in nearly all the states of the Federation, with severe consequences in at least 23 states including Jigawa.
The director-general stated that the 2022 Annual Flood outlook (AFO) forecasted that 233 LGAs in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory, are within highly probable flood risk areas, while 212 LGAs in 35 states of the federation are within moderately probable flood risk areas.
According to him, already, the agency is inundated with reports of flood disaster in several local government areas in more than 17 states and still counting.
“This should be taken as a “wake-up call” for each and every one of us to brace of to the reality of climate change and the need for comprehensive, all inclusive, people centered measures, to mitigate its negative impact.
He disclosed that the agency was embarking on a comprehensive flood risk management plan which promises to substantially reduce potential loss to lives, property damage and interruption to livelihood and economic activities.
He added that to be able to respond timely and efficiently in a coordinated way against flooding, all the three tiers must be prepared, develop plans that consider the vulnerable groups, project full impacts and consequences and acquire contingency stock filing.
The DG further called on states and Local governments to empower their respective State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Government Emergency Management Committees (LGEMCs), to enable them coordinate other stakeholders, prepare a workable plan, have enough contingency stock file and generate the needed awareness among the population.
According to him, responding to flood and all other disaster issues is a collective responsibility, where both Federal, State and the Local Government, as well as communities have complementary roles to play.
He pointed out that it is when a disaster overwhelmed a community and the local government that the state should be invited to intervene, while the NEMA should only be requested to intervene in situations that the community, local and state governments’ efforts could not provide the needed succour.
Speaking on behalf of the benefiting LGAs, the Chairman of Hadejia Council, Abdulkadir Umar, thanked the agencies for the gesture and assured fair distribution of the items to the victims.
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