By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) is securing life jackets for distribution to Benue people living in riverine areas particularly Buruku and Agatu and for those crossing the rivers.
The preparation comes ahead of severe flooding predictions by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The agency is also calling on riverine communities to be alert, urging residents in such localities to relocate.
According to Tema Ager, the information officer of BSEMA, the Executive Secretary of the agency, James Iorpuu, made this known on Tuesday when the governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, received officials from the NEMA to highlight the 2024 flood early warning strategies.
The governor, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Joseph Alakali, thanked NEMA for their early warning strategies and awareness of the 2024 flood, stating that it will mitigate the impact of flooding in the State.
Alia, who assured NEMA of his administration’s total cooperation, added that the state government has embarked on the construction of drainages and roads to mitigate the effects of flooding. He charged the caretaker committee chairmen in the state’s LGAs to take the message to their various local government areas.
Earlier, the Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, highlighted that early warning alerts from the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) provided by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) were vital tools for mitigating flood impacts, especially for vulnerable communities. According to him, NIHSA’s 2024 AFO predicts that 31 states with 148 local government areas (LGAs) are at high flood risk, while 35 states, including the Federal Capital Territory with 249 LGAs, are at moderate risk while he remaining 377 LGAs are at low flood risk.
Represented by Air Commodore Kennedy Mataluwo, the Director of Search and Rescue, Umar who underscored the importance of effective early actions to save lives and property noted that recent years’ floods had caused significant loss of lives, livelihoods and infrastructure worth billions of naira.
“These predictions guide governments at all levels to develop risk reduction measures to avert disaster losses this rainy season. Sectors such as agriculture, food security, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), education, health, transportation, and security are urged to set up disaster preparedness mechanisms based on early action strategies.
“Benue State has been severely impacted by floods in the past, with LGAs such as Buruku, Makurdi, Guma, Agatu, Tarka, Gwer West, Logo, Kwande, and Katsina-Ala still predicted to be at high and moderate flood risk for the 2024 rainy season. This downscaling initiative aims to disseminate flood early warning and risk mitigation messages to the grassroots level.
“The event is expected to significantly reduce the impacts of annual floods and safeguard the livelihoods of Benue State’s residents, aligning with the Federal Government’s renewed hope agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, Ager quoted the NEMA DG to have said.
Reflecting on the devastating floods of 2012 and 2022, Umar further stressed the need for government at all levels to collaborate with NEMA to manage disaster risks and associated hazards, emphasizing that contemporary disaster risk management relies on community-wide participation which entails that people should work together to protect vulnerable communities, critical infrastructure and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities in Benue State.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NEMA enlightenment program on early actions to save lives and livelihoods in Benue State, Iorpuu emphasized the need for NEMA to focus on other flashpoints within the state, not just the high-risk areas.
“The warning signals we are receiving in Benue State are very high because what we experienced during the recent flash flood was devastating, affecting almost all communities in Makurdi LGA. We should expect something bigger this year. The volume of water in the Benue and Katsina-Ala rivers is alarming, far exceeding last year’s levels. It’s a cause for concern.
“SEMA is taking proactive steps by securing life jackets for distribution to those in coastal areas, particularly Buruku and Agatu, and for those crossing the rivers. We are also calling on riverbank communities to be alert and urging residents in coastal areas to relocate. It’s unwise to ignore imminent danger”, Ager quoted his principal to cautioned
He explained that the warning was based on past experiences, cautioning that more than 17 local government areas predicted to be at risk might experience flooding.
Highlight of the occasion was presentation of a public lecture for the 23 local government caretaker committee Chairmen in Benue State on measures of mitigating flooding and other forms of disaster.
