BE ALERT TO IMMINENT FLOODING, OSANEBI CHARGES CONSTITUENTS

By Agbanashi Obinne

Deputy Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly  Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi has charged his constituents, Ndokwa people and Deltans at large, especially those living in flood prone areas to be at alert and live ready, in order to avert any disaster due to imminent flooding.

Rt. Hon. Friday Osanebi

Osanebi who said that the warning became imperative following the declaration of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( NIMET), that from August to October this year, 11 states will experience severe flooding as their various soil moistures had reached or were close to saturation.

According to NIMET, in its latest flood alert, said, “After thorough analyses of rainfall data from our observatories nationwide for June and July, we wish to provide the following information and advisories to the public, especially those in the affected areas. Soil moisture has either reached saturation, or near saturation levels due to cumulative high intensity rainfall in some parts of the country in June and July.

“The affected states include Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Kaduna, Kwara, Nasarawa, Yobe and Zamfara. This means that floods should be expected in these areas because the soil is no longer able to absorb more rainwater in the coming weeks which coincide with the peak of the rainy season.”

Further revelations  from NIMET stated that research had shown that the looming flood might be similar to what was experienced in many states in 2012, which began in July that year and killed 363 people, while over 2.1 million others were displaced.

According to the  National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) the 2012 floods was the worst in the last 40 years, as it affected an estimated total of seven million people while the damages and losses caused by the floods were put at N2.6tn.

To this end, the Deputy Speaker urged traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, women, and socio-economic groups to seriously educate and mobilize their members so that members of the community can be fully informed of the likely natural disaster in order to prepare their minds and hearts.

He noted that relevant structures have been perfected for emergency evacuation plans, but stressed "prevention is better than cure".

Osanebi further urged constituents to be proactive in order to avoid losses, saying that he's focused on bringing prosperity to the people in the fullest and to that end, all hands must be on desk to collectively check massive loss or disaster that could be occasioned by flood.