NEMA Lists 18 LGA To Experience Flood

By Doris Isreal Ijeoma Residents in 18 of Delta State’s 25 local government areas have been warned to brace for potential flooding. The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, issued this alert during a one-day Stakeholders Sensitisation Workshop in Asaba. The workshop, organised by NEMA in collaboration with the Delta State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), aimed to address waste management and flood preparation. The theme, “Proper Waste Management and Flood Preparation,” underscored the need for proper waste disposal practices to mitigate flood risks. Umar emphasized the workshop’s goal of raising awareness about sustainable waste management and flood mitigation strategies. She urged stakeholders to support NEMA’s efforts in promoting proper waste management and reducing flood impacts. The Delta State government had previously established flood committees and set up Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps at strategic locations to manage flooding impacts across the state.

Tinubu Reacts To Ibadan Explosion

President Bola Tinubu has expressed sadness over the tragic incident which happened in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Tuesday, January 16. This was made known in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, via Dada Olusegun’s X handle on Wednesday, January 17. The statement reads: “President Bola Tinubu has expressed sadness over the devastating explosion that occurred on Tuesday night in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. “The explosion killed two persons and wounded about 80 others. It also destroyed several buildings, vehicles, and other properties.  “It is worrisome that the cause of the blast is being attributed to the activities of illegal miners. Those behind the inexcusable and reckless behaviour that has created the conditions for the sad incident to occur must be fished out and punished,” the President said. “President Tinubu commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State and called on all concerned agencies of government to unravel the circumstances that led to the tragedy with alacrity. “The President directs the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work with the Oyo State Government to offer immediate and comprehensive relief to the victims.”

Lagdo Dam: Prepare For Heavy Floods, NEMA Alerts Adamawa, Benue, Edo, 6 Others

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has alerted Nigerians to expect flood in nine states as Cameroon began the release of water from its Lagdo Dam. The states are: Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa. Mr Mustapha Ahmed, Director General, NEMA, disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja when he briefed newsmen on the release of water from the dam. He said that the nine affected states which had communities along the banks of River Benue may be affected by the water release, which is expected to last till the end of October. Ahmed said that the recent release had led to the displacement of communities and could lead to further destruction of crops and other infrastructure. “NEMA has been alerted on sudden increased inundation of riverine communities and farmlands along the banks of River Niger in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states in the past 48 hours. “The sudden situation is attributed to the rapid release of water from Lagdo fam in the Republic of Cameroon and has resulted in the displacement of several inhabitants of the affected communities. “Furthermore, crops, lands and valuable infrastructure are at risk of getting washed away by the flood waters. “Situation reports from Adamawa State confirmed the upsurge of flood waters along the flood plains of River Benue. “The situation is expected to be replicated in downstream states of Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa as the River Benue joins River Niger and flows to the Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta,” he said. The director general also cautioned states and local government areas along the River Niger and Benue Basins to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert potential damage and losses that could arise due to the flooding of communities. Ahmed added that, so far, 159,157 persons had been affected by this year’s flooding, as 28 persons had lost their lives and 48,168 individuals displaced in 13 states across the country. He, however, added that the agency would continue to provide further updates as it received more situation reports from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as well as frontline states’ emergency management agencies.

Flood: NEMA Distributes Relief Materials To Households In Enugu

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to 10,040 households affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Enugu State. The Director-General (DG) of the agency, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said during the distribution in Enugu that the gesture was under the Special National Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI). Ahmed, who was represented by the Enugu State team supervisor of SNELEI, Mr Ladan Ayuba, said that the distribution was to improve the socio-economic conditions of the affected households in the state. He identified the items as livelihood equipment which included sewing machines and grinding machines while the food items include rice, beans, garri, sorghum, vegetable oil, salt, tomato paste sachets and seasoning cubes. According to him, the non-food items are mosquito nets, nylon mats, blankets, form mattresses, set of cooking pots, cooking stoves, toilet soaps and detergents. The agricultural inputs also distributed, included water pumps 3HP, growth enhancers, liquid fertilizers, pesticide, herbicide, yam seeds, rice seeds and maize seeds. He explained that the agricultural inputs were given to take farmers back to their farm lands, to stimulate crop production, and safeguard national food security in the middle of economic downturn. The DG added that the livelihood support was to help artisans improve their businesses and grow the economy. He urged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the items to improve their socio-economic conditions. “Beneficiaries are advised to avoid selling the items and destroying the good intention of the Federal Government,” he said. Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, lauded NEMA for its support to the state. “We want to extend our gratitude to the DG, NEMA, for always partnering with the state in times of emergency. “It is important that we acknowledge that President Bola Tinubu has made commitment to continue to support the states that are going through flood- related matter through NEMA,” he said. Some beneficiaries expressed their joy for the items they received.