Flood has continued to unleash hell on travelers at the Niger Bridge, Lokoja, Kogi State. Some commuters have to be ferried across the Niger Bridge in canoes, while others have to wait for long hours until their vehicles find the way out of the flood. The state government has cried out for help from the federal government.
Kogi State Commissioner for Environment, Victor Omofaye, on Tuesday, has appealed to the Federal Government and other international agencies to come to the aid of the state because of the devastating flood.
Omofaye speaking on Channels Television, stated: “… the state government cannot do it alone. That is why we are calling on the Federal Government and even international donors well spirited persons in the society to come to our aid in relocating thousands of people.
“The state government under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello has quickly set up a committee under the supervision of the deputy governor who has in the same way quickly put up a situation room and as we speak, all the data is being collected there.
“Kogi government can’t do this alone and the governor explained while restoring the affected persons in the camps; he told them that we have efforts to move these people to a safer place and that is what we are currently doing that is why I told you we have a committee in place now; we are working round it to endure that this is done as soon as possible.”
Omofaye maintained: “Flooding in Kogi State, we have 3 stages; we have before, during, and after.
“The before aspect of it is when we carry out awareness, sensitization and what have you and so now we are faced with this flooding. Presently, the people who have sensitized earlier are being moved to higher ground and that is why we have not experienced the outcry of a high-level of death rate.
“The government is so proactive in ensuring that people living along the coastal area are being given earlier warnings, earlier sensitization to quickly move to higher ground the moment they experience this and with the cooperation of NEMA and SEMA, we have been working in conjunction with even non-governmental organizations to see that this menace is being tackled.”