Devastating floods last year ravaged several communities in 33 states nationwide. Official records estimated 665 fatalities, over two million persons displaced, and valuables in excess of $6.68 billion lost to the natural disaster. About a year after and the outset of a more severe rainfall this year, BERTRAM NWANNEKANMA, ANN GODWIN, JULIUS OSAHON, IBRAHIM OBANSA and MONDAY OSAYANDE report that nothing has changed across the flood prone communities. Despite executive promises and capital votes for respites, visits to the red zones showed hard-pressed survivors still busy counting their losses, and largely unaware of another rainstorm gathering.

Chukwudi Onyechefule had invested N1 million in his poultry business early 2022. It was his biggest ‘break’ in poultry farming. With things looking up, the Yenagoa farmer was all set to count millions by Christmas of 2022.

By June, his 1,000-bird investment had fully matured. He was sure the god of fortunes had smiled on him. Then it started to rain in the last quarter. It continued nonstop in Bayelsa. After nine days of heavy downpour, it registered it was not just the seasonal rainfall but something more sinister. Days later and before his eyes, more than half of his poultry got washed away by the menacing flood. When the coast cleared and the bleak Christmas came, Onyechefule had less than 50 birds to market to a beleaguered community.

“The birds that are alive are few,” he said wearily. “They were sold for between N3, 000 and N5, 000 to a community that does not even have money to spend. Each of the chickens would have been sold for between N10, 000 and N12, 000, without the flooding disaster,” Onyechefule said.

He recalled that the impacts of the 2022 flooding in Yenagoa were extensive, but nothing has changed in terms of measures to mitigate future occurrences.

Sadly, his feeling is mutual across residents of Yenagoa, including Swali, Opolo, Tombia, Akenfa and Agudama, and across other 32 states that were devastated beyond measure in the 2022 flood of fury. Residents, who spoke with The Guardian, said besides economic losses, they are also suffering health complications like diarrhoea, malaria, cough and measles.

Despite commitments made by the state governments, findings across the communities showed that not much has changed in terms of fortunes of the survivors. Most worrisome is how the communities are going to cope with another prediction of heavy rainfall in 2023.

Bayelsa: Nothing yet from N77.9b vote for flood management

Although, the 2022 flood disaster, coupled with its associated hazards, was meant to be a wake-up call for emergency responders, development agencies, and partners to work assiduously to avert a repeat, there seems to be no serious effort to avert the danger.

Apart from sensitising residents on early warning signals released yearly by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), the states, as major casualties are in limbo of any concrete flood resilience mechanism.

According to the Federal Government data, over 665 people were killed and 3,181 injured as a result of the 2022 floods. On the aggregate, Nigeria lost $6.68 billion, in which several lives and properties were lost in about 33 states, while many affected communities are yet to recover from impacts of the devastating incident.

Findings on the impacts of the 2022 flooding on the residents of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, show that over 71 to 77 per cent of residents were affected through building collapse, household items lost, livestock destroyed and many others.

Residents told The Guardian that promises were made by the state government after last year’s flood, but nothing in terms of support was yet to come their way.

Apparently to check another disaster, the state government earmarked N77.92 billion (20 per cent of the proposed N385.2 billion total budget for its 2023 fiscal year) to tackle the disaster, and erect sundry infrastructure.

Governor Douye Diri, while presenting the 2023 budget, themed: ‘Budget of sustainable growth and reconstruction’, said the votes would address the state’s challenges, “especially the flood that has devastated almost all the communities in the state”. He noted that the government would prioritise the building, reconstructing areas devastated by the floods.

But as at the last check, the drainage systems in the capital, Yenagoa, are already filled up with waste, while there is no activity to clear them by the authorities.

Some residents around the cemetery road in Azikoro village, Yenagoa, also called on the relevant agencies to clean up the canals that empty water into Azikoro village from the cemetery area of the state.

One of the residents, Lemmy Egede, said: “Last year’s flood really affected us so much here and up till now we didn’t see any palliative. We were really impacted but there was no government presence. There was a time three corpses floated out from the cemetery, and it was here for days.”

Another resident, Mama Blessing, said she conveyed one of the corpses back to the cemetery. She said: “Government didn’t give us anything then or now. We have been abandoned to our fate. We don’t have a government. In the past, all the canals in the metropolis were always cleared yearly before the rainy season, which makes flooding minimal; but things are now different.

“Most of the drainages were not cleared before the flooding began, only for some excavators to be seen around some canals, like the one they dropped around the Air Force Road of Okaka, which was eventually vandalised.”

When The Guardian sought to know from the recently inaugurated Directorate on Flood and Erosion Control, a member of the Committee said they were yet to start work because “there is no mobilisation yet”.

Kogi: Roads in bad shape, victims still unsettled

In Kogi State, a total of nine Local Councils and their 514 communities were submerged in 2022. No fewer than 471,000 persons were displaced, while 92 health facilities across the councils were partially or completely destroyed. Governor Yahaya Bello put the total cost of the loss as a result of the flood at over N100 billion.

But the survivors are still counting their losses several months after. Worst affected are communities in Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Idah, Ibaji, Igalamela, Adavi and Bassa.

Chairperson of Kogi NGO’s Network, (KONGONET), Idris Ozovehe Muraina, said over 500,000 persons were affected by the flood, which sacked about nine LGAs.

“Over 500,000 persons were affected by the flood according to our assessment. We decided to visit them in their various IDP camps during the flood that lasted for over two months.

“We will continue to call on relevant agencies of government and other private organisations to ensure that necessary measures are put in place to prevent future occurrence.”

In finding a permanent solution, Chief of Adankolo Community, David Aibe Aghaiyi II, tasked the government with providing permanent residence for the affected people.

According to him, once the people are relocated, their present abode should be demolished, to prevent them from coming back to the same community after the flood.

The Eje of Ibaji, Ajofe John Egwemi, noted that the roads are still in bad shape months after the 2022 flood. He said: “We are suffering because our voices are not loud enough. Please, help us talk to the Federal Government to dredge the Rivers Niger and Benue and let them build dams on the two major rivers. Smaller countries have their dams and every day, we face threats from Cameroon over release of water. Let us, for God’s sake, build our own dams. If we can build at least two dams, one each on Niger and Benue with well-coordinated dredging, the flooding menace and threats will be finally laid to rest,” he said.

However, Commissioner for Environment, Victor Adewale Omofaiye said, while it is good to dredge the rivers, the work was beyond the scope of the state government.

Delta: Interventions are only on radio sets

In Delta State, where 21 people died, 38,000 persons camped in Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps, no action is ongoing to check a repeat of the suffering on residents, especially in flood prone communities.

The Guardian observed that the flood, which submerged River Niger, has receded completely, as the bank of the river was completely empty for people to go about their normal businesses.

At Otuogwu area, in Asaba, the state capital, where the bank overflowed and houses submerged, people were seen dredging and evacuating sand for commercial purposes. Igwe of Abala kingdom in Ndokwa East council of the state, Frederick Egbunokonye, said: “What we are doing differently now is that many of the farmers are taking precautionary measures to ensure there is a bumper harvest of farm produce this year”.

He said many of the farmers planted their crops early enough before the rain could set in to wreak havoc. The monarch, however, expressed reservation over the early planting of the crops, saying many of them died before harvest because there was no rain. He said the government had remained unconcerned about their plights, adding: “we only hear on radio that they will do something, but nothing has been done yet.”

Rivers: 2022 relief materials just arriving

Residents in Rivers State, especially those in the Orashi regions, are also still finding their feet after the flood debacle. The 2022 flood, which was adjudged to be worse than the 2012 floods affected five major Local Councils with over 200 communities destroying several farmlands, crops, livestock, houses which the total cost could not be ascertained. The 2022 Flood report revealed the death of 600 Nigerians and displacement of 1.4 million persons.

Checks revealed that no major steps have been taken to mitigate flood predictions, like evacuation and draining the water channels to allow for free flow through the ocean.

Some buildings on the water channels are still standing, without creating more dams to cushion the effect of water released from the ocean. While there is no flood report yet in any part of the state, there is no laid down strategy or plan to mitigate the looming disaster as predicted by NiMET.

While some worried residents have started paying and securing makeshift accommodations on the upland areas, most of the flood victims in the affected councils in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (Onelga), Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Abual Odual, and Emohua are yet to recover and resettle from the devastating effects.

For instance, a 36-year-old farmer and mother of six in Onelga, Better Gift Richard, who The Guardian met on her farm in Ogbogu community said: “It is not possible to quantify or cost what I lost last year. I had 18 farms but managed to harvest only six while 12 farms were destroyed.

“I planted cassava, cucumber, Okra in all the 18 farms and in each farm, we usually get up to 10 bags of garri, plus corn and Okra, but we lost all, including cassava stems. That is why this year, we are having difficulties farming because a lot of our farm produce was destroyed in the flood.

President, Rivers West Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Chimezie Obuzor, told The Guardian that they lost over N12 million worth of church properties and documents in last year’s flood. He conducted the reporter around the two-storey church building located at Abarikpo in Ahoada East Local Council, where the entire first floor was submerged, and hundreds of computers, office furniture, tables, documents destroyed by the flood were sighted.

He said: “The last year’s flood was a real disaster, just as we are here, you can see (pointing at the wall) the level of the water. The water covered the whole of the downstairs, and most of the properties, including electronics, furniture, computers; the flood destroyed office documents. The flood of last year was more massive than the one of 2012 and we lost over N12 million worth of properties.”

However, Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Council, Vincent Job, said they were not paying lip service to the effects of climate change. According to him, the council has started reconstructing relief camps, buying foams and mattresses as well as stocking food items ahead of the disaster.

The Federal Government on its part is still distributing relief materials meant for the 2022 flooding instead of upping the ante at ameliorating effects of a recurrence.

Just last month, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, handed over palliatives to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to distribute to the 2022 affected flood victims in the State. The residents said they were not surprised at the belated intervention, describing it as the stock in trade of the government’s efforts to help people in dire need!

Lagos: Endless wait for return on investment

In Lagos State where flooding has become yearly ritual, the state government through the Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources (ODS & WR) is carrying out construction and repairs of collector drains statewide, construction of secondary and tertiary drains, and lining of collector drains as part of measures at reducing flooding in the state.

A government source said the state is currently promoting ‘community participatory flood management’, because losses due to flooding are quantified in terms of losses to man-hour, life and property, and displacement of communities.

According to the official, this involves creating awareness on the need to collectively stop dumping waste in drains as it has been identified as a major cause of flooding, especially within the metropolis.

Former Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, at a briefing on Seasonal Climate Predictions and its socio-economic implications for Lagos, said the 1936.2mm amount of rainfall predicted for 2023 was greater than the long-term average of 1721.48mm experienced in the state in the last 10 years. He said NiMET has predicted that Lagos State would experience an average to slightly above average rainfall amount and an elongated season length.

Therefore, the state had increased the preparedness for weather and flood related issues by deploying its network of weather stations and river gauge stations to monitor the weather across the state and to monitor incoming rainfall storm water from neighbouring states, such as Ogun, Oyo and Osun that may result in increasing water levels.

He added that the Ministry continues to embark on all-year-round drainage maintenance for effective flood control as well as a sustainable solid waste management system, saying this year would not be different.

Also, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry Office of Drainage Services, Nurudeen Shodeinde said the Ministry will be introducing Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) which will make use of nature, using man-made features such as soak-a ways, ponds and gently sloping channels (Swales) to attenuate and treat urban runoff.

He said the densely built and fully paved ground surface, which is rampant in Lagos have distorted the normal hydrological cycle in the state and has given rise to increased surface runoff ultimately resulting in flood incidences. He advised Lagosians to continue to support the efforts of the government by regularly clearing the drains in their frontage, he urged motorists to refrain from driving through flood as this could result in submerging of vehicles and loss of lives.

Commenting on the flood menace, an environmental activist, Dr Newton Jibunoh, said until the government returns to the channelisation plan of Lagos, done in the 60s and 70s, and begins to address the issue, Lagos would continue to be flooded.

Jibunoh said a recent study suggests that the problem could be solved, if canals could be opened at some strategic spots to help the exit of Lagos lagoon, the ‘major cause’ of the problem, into the sea and reduce the level of its boisterous waters.

Twice beaten…

Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, said the 2022 flood disaster was unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, and 2023 would not be different. Ahmed appealed that the seasonal climate predictions and annual flood outlook released by NiMet and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), should be acted upon.

Director-General of NIHSA, Clement Nze, said that 178 Local Councils in 32 states and the FCT had been predicted to experience severe flooding in 2023. He called for action to be taken early enough to avert any disasters. Nze said: “This time, we came out early with this prediction and we expect that relevant actors, governments, and individuals will go to work.

“We expect that actions should be taken, especially at the sub-national levels, early enough, to mitigate the impact of flooding in the country,” he added.

Also, during the presentation of the 2023 Climate-related Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Strategies in Abuja, NEMA’s DG warned that Bayelsa, Lagos, Rivers, and Delta states are at higher risk of flooding in 2023.

“This year’s forecast has indicated that there is a high risk of coastal flooding due to expected rise in sea level and tidal surge that may negatively impact agriculture, human settlements and transportation in Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos, and Rivers states.

“Flash and urban floods are also forecast over many cities and towns due to poor drainage systems and the lack of compliance with town planning and environmental regulations,” Ahmed said.

He noted that 2023 floods could be similar or worse than what occurred in 2022, if adequate preparatory steps were not taken, and called for early action to mitigate or avert possible disasters.

“In NEMA, we believe that early warning must be matched with early action. Therefore, we have written letters and attached this document (predictions) for dispatch to all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with specific mention of Local Councils at risk and actions that are expected to be taken by responsible authorities. We have also produced flood risk maps of areas at risk and uploaded them on our official website and social media platforms for greater access by the public,” he said. (The Guardian)

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