Havoc as Floods Kill 500, Destroy 45,000 Houses Nationwide
FLOOD
*NIWA commiserates with flood victims
By Our Correspondents
No fewer than 500 people have been killed nationwide and about 45,000 houses destroyed by floods ravaging different communities in the country.
The harrowing figures were released by different agencies of government during a meeting in Abuja over the incident.
It was reported that 75,000 hectares of farmland have also been destroyed by the flood.
Only Friday, it was reported that about 80 Nigerians lost their lives in Anambra as they were fleeing from flood in their different areas.
The victims were using boats which also capsized.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, had said on Tuesday that the flood on farmland was a big threat to Nigerians, adding that it means food scarcity.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the flood incident has displaced no fewer than 600,000 people.
A report by CNN in an interview with the Red Cross showed that Anambra, Kogi, Kwara and Benue states were the worst hit as communities were submerged.
In Kogi state, the Red Cross told the CNN that many people have been rendered homeless in Lokoja their houses were submerged by flood.
Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, disclosed that nine areas along the Niger and Benue River were affected.
He added, “Ibaji is almost 100 per cent under water while the rest range from 30 per cent up … We therefore have a serious and humanitarian tragedy on our hands, but I wish to assure every person, family and community which has been affected that they are not alone and that help is coming”.
In a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sani Gwarzo, told newsmen on Tuesday that the federal government was doing everything to address the havoc.
He said, “In the area of the flood disaster outlook, records from the field have indicated that the 2022 flood is comparable only to the 2012 flood in terms of human displacement, livelihood disruption, infrastructure damage and environmental dislocation.
“The National Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that as at October 9, 2022, water levels at Lokoja and Makurdi along Rivers Niger and Benue is 11 per cent above the level recorded in 2012.
“So far the flood has wreaked havoc in 31 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Over 500 persons are reported dead; 1,411,051 affected; 790,254 displaced persons with 1,546 persons injured.
“Furthermore, 44,099 houses are partially damaged; 45,249 houses totally damaged; 76,168 hectares of farmland partially damaged and 70,566 hectares of farmland are completely destroyed by the great deluge.”
“The provision of food and non-food items for immediate relief and building materials for reconstruction and rehabilitation is ongoing. Field assessment of the situation is constantly received from NEMA zonal, territorial and operations offices across the country.”
In a statement the management of management of National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA, commiserated with the the good people and government of Anambra State over the sad incident.
The statement which was signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Jibril Dauda, said the boat mishap though described as a mechanical and human error could have been averted if the basic safety guidelines of wearing life jackets and avoiding overloading amongst other safety rules were adhered to.
The statement reads,
“It is with deep shock and sadness that the management of National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA wishes to commiserate with the good people and government of Anambra State over the recent boat mishaps which consumed 10 lives at Umnnakwo, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The boat mishap though described as a mechanical and human error could have been averted if the basic safety guidelines of wearing life jackets and avoiding overloading amongst other safety rules were adhered to.
“According to the report from our Onitsha Area Office, at about 12:30pm of the 7th day of October 2022, it was revealed that the wooden engine boat, after it has loaded 48 passengers, left for its destination; but at a point, the engine developed a mechanical fault and as such could not start again. All efforts by the captain of the boat to restart the engine proved abortive and at that point, the wave/current of the river started to pull the boat backwards towards the bridge linking Umunnakwo/Ossomala. Some of the passengers who could swim jumped into the river for safety, while others tried to push the boat away from the bridge. Those that could not swim were trapped in the boat and out of fear, they all moved to one side of the boat and as soon as the boat collided with the bridge, it capsized leaving ten (10) persons dead (all women and children). Out of the forty-eight (48) passengers, thirty-eight (38) were rescued alive (5 were children and 33 adults).
“Despite the several efforts of the Managing Director of NIWA Chief Dr. George Moghalu in distributing free life jackets to boat operators association in all our 23 Area offices Nationwide and sensitization campaign and training for boat operators and water users on the importance of adhering to the safety guidelines on the waterways; to our dismay, it was revealed that only one of the passengers on board wore life jacket and was saved while others were not on life jacket. This came to us at NIWA as a surprise because the Onitsha Area Office had countlessly carried out sensitization programs on the importance of the use of life jacket amongst other safety guidelines in the State.
“Consequently, due to the rising level of the flood, the Area Office has stationed personnel on daily patrol of the waterways for quick response to emergencies as they might arise”.
By Our Correspondents
No fewer than 500 people have been killed nationwide and about 45,000 houses destroyed by floods ravaging different communities in the country.
The harrowing figures were released by different agencies of government during a meeting in Abuja over the incident.
It was reported that 75,000 hectares of farmland have also been destroyed by the flood.
Only Friday, it was reported that about 80 Nigerians lost their lives in Anambra as they were fleeing from flood in their different areas.
The victims were using boats which also capsized.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, had said on Tuesday that the flood on farmland was a big threat to Nigerians, adding that it means food scarcity.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the flood incident has displaced no fewer than 600,000 people.
A report by CNN in an interview with the Red Cross showed that Anambra, Kogi, Kwara and Benue states were the worst hit as communities were submerged.
In Kogi state, the Red Cross told the CNN that many people have been rendered homeless in Lokoja their houses were submerged by flood.
Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, disclosed that nine areas along the Niger and Benue River were affected.
He added, “Ibaji is almost 100 per cent under water while the rest range from 30 per cent up … We therefore have a serious and humanitarian tragedy on our hands, but I wish to assure every person, family and community which has been affected that they are not alone and that help is coming”.
In a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sani Gwarzo, told newsmen on Tuesday that the federal government was doing everything to address the havoc.
He said, “In the area of the flood disaster outlook, records from the field have indicated that the 2022 flood is comparable only to the 2012 flood in terms of human displacement, livelihood disruption, infrastructure damage and environmental dislocation.
“The National Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that as at October 9, 2022, water levels at Lokoja and Makurdi along Rivers Niger and Benue is 11 per cent above the level recorded in 2012.
“So far the flood has wreaked havoc in 31 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Over 500 persons are reported dead; 1,411,051 affected; 790,254 displaced persons with 1,546 persons injured.
“Furthermore, 44,099 houses are partially damaged; 45,249 houses totally damaged; 76,168 hectares of farmland partially damaged and 70,566 hectares of farmland are completely destroyed by the great deluge.”
“The provision of food and non-food items for immediate relief and building materials for reconstruction and rehabilitation is ongoing. Field assessment of the situation is constantly received from NEMA zonal, territorial and operations offices across the country.”
In a statement the management of management of National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA, commiserated with the the good people and government of Anambra State over the sad incident.
The statement which was signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Jibril Dauda, said the boat mishap though described as a mechanical and human error could have been averted if the basic safety guidelines of wearing life jackets and avoiding overloading amongst other safety rules were adhered to.
The statement reads,
“It is with deep shock and sadness that the management of National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA wishes to commiserate with the good people and government of Anambra State over the recent boat mishaps which consumed 10 lives at Umnnakwo, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The boat mishap though described as a mechanical and human error could have been averted if the basic safety guidelines of wearing life jackets and avoiding overloading amongst other safety rules were adhered to.
“According to the report from our Onitsha Area Office, at about 12:30pm of the 7th day of October 2022, it was revealed that the wooden engine boat, after it has loaded 48 passengers, left for its destination; but at a point, the engine developed a mechanical fault and as such could not start again. All efforts by the captain of the boat to restart the engine proved abortive and at that point, the wave/current of the river started to pull the boat backwards towards the bridge linking Umunnakwo/Ossomala. Some of the passengers who could swim jumped into the river for safety, while others tried to push the boat away from the bridge. Those that could not swim were trapped in the boat and out of fear, they all moved to one side of the boat and as soon as the boat collided with the bridge, it capsized leaving ten (10) persons dead (all women and children). Out of the forty-eight (48) passengers, thirty-eight (38) were rescued alive (5 were children and 33 adults).
“Despite the several efforts of the Managing Director of NIWA Chief Dr. George Moghalu in distributing free life jackets to boat operators association in all our 23 Area offices Nationwide and sensitization campaign and training for boat operators and water users on the importance of adhering to the safety guidelines on the waterways; to our dismay, it was revealed that only one of the passengers on board wore life jacket and was saved while others were not on life jacket. This came to us at NIWA as a surprise because the Onitsha Area Office had countlessly carried out sensitization programs on the importance of the use of life jacket amongst other safety guidelines in the State.
“Consequently, due to the rising level of the flood, the Area Office has stationed personnel on daily patrol of the waterways for quick response to emergencies as they might arise”.
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