Senate urges NiMet to make flooding predictions available to Nigerians

The Senate on Tuesday called on the management of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to make details of possible flooding in different parts of the country available to Nigerians.

The call was a sequel to a motion sponsored by Fasuyi Oluwole (APC, Ekiti North) during the plenary.

Mt Oluwole, while presenting his motion, complained that flood had wreaked havoc on the Ipao, Itapaju and Oke-Ako communities in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

He said many of the residents are now facing “untold hardship” after the flood had destroyed their homes and businesses.

The lawmaker also noted that NiMet and other relevant government agencies failed to issue a warning to the residents before the flood occurred.

Mr Oluwole thereafter demanded that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster, Management and Social Development and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) send relief materials to the flood victims.

He also asked the upper chamber to mandate its Committees on Environment and Legislative Compliance to ensure strict compliance with the resolution.

Contributions

The majority of the senators who contributed to the motion supported it.

Ide Dafinone (Delta Central) seconded the motion

Mr Dafinone, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said when NiMet failed to issue flood warnings for his constituency, he wrote the agency requesting to know if there would be flooding.

He accused the NiMet officials of demanding a sum of N3 million from him before the flooding predictions could be issued.

“I took it upon myself to write them to ask for the following: Weather forecast and predictions relating to Delta Central; historical data on flooding incidents in the region; recommendations and strategies for flood preparedness.

“I was to receive a reply from NiMet asking me to pay a sum of N3 million to get that information.

“I want to suggest here that when we get to the prayers, additional prayers should be raised to reflect that NiMet should be required to make all flooding warnings available to the public and then specifically to the state governments so that they can adequately prepare for the potential victims of flooding,” Mr Dafinone said.

Joel Thomas (Delta South) said flooding has caused disaster in many parts of the country.

“The issue of flooding has become a perennial disaster. Government agencies must be proactive and up-to-date in providing information for people to get ready. “

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After the contributions, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, put the motion to vote, and the majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.

Mr Jibrin thereafter directed NiMet to immediately make flooding predictions in different parts of the country available to the people.