How flooding can be controlled in Nigeria – Deputy Senate President

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, said flooding in the country would be reduced if states and local governments collaborate with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

Mr Jibrin stated this during the plenary session on Tuesday while commenting on a motion sponsored by Fasuyi Oluwole (APC, Ekiti North) on the need to provide palliative support for some communities ravaged by flood in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

The deputy senate president, who presided over the plenary, said if the local government system of governance had been active, many Nigerians would have been aware and prepared for the flood before it struck.

“And that is why we have been calling that,…anyway, the local government now is not really active, that is why we are calling for a local government that will be very active because when you have this information, it will pass through the necessary channels to the people,” he said.

Mr Jibrin stressed the need for a collaboration between the NiMet, state and local government authorities to call the attention of the people against impending rainstorms.

“The local government should be up to their duties. The NiMet should not wait once they have information, they should provide information to the state governments and the state governments should provide information to the local governments up to the ward level to all areas of local governments, to chapters if you like, polling units so that everybody will be in the know of the impending catastrophe that may occur and people will get prepared.”

He, however, urged the NiMet authorities to always make flooding predictions available to Nigerians.

“I also agree that relevant agencies like NiMet should be up to their duties by giving earlier warnings to authorities, local government, state governments to draw the attention of their people from impending rainstorm or rainfall that may likely occur so that everybody will be prepared to deal with the situation.”

In the last few years, many states have recorded disastrous incidents occasioned by flooding after heavy downpours.