Fear has enveloped communities in flood-prone states in the South-South following what residents perceive as lack of visible preparations by state governments for possible heavy flooding this year.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had warned in January that 14 states, including most of the states in the region, would face flash floods, and called on the governments and residents to make preparations in advance to avoid casualties.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) followed up with an alert that up to 626 local government areas or 80 per cent of the LGAs might be affected.

The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, quoting from the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), said 66 local government areas are at high flood risk between April and June; 148 LGAs in July to September and 100 LGAs in the months of October and November.

He said Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos and Rivers in particular face a high risk of coastal flooding owing to expected rise in sea level and tidal surge that may negatively impact agriculture, human settlements and transportation.

Similar flooding last year in the region and other parts of the country had claimed many lives, wiped out domestic animals and destroyed many properties.

However, investigations by The Nation in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom showed that no serious efforts have been made to prepare for the flood.

In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, residents complained that they were yet to see adequate preparations by the government.

Residents of Cemetery Road in Azikoro Village, Yenagoa asked the relevant agencies to clear the canals that empty water into Azikoro Village from Cemetery Road.

A member of the recently inaugurated Committee on Flood and Erosion Control in the state told The Nation that the committee was yet to begin work because it had not been mobilised by the government.

A resident of Cemetery Road, Mr. Royal Egede, hoped government will “do something quickly this time around.”

He added: “We are urging the government to come and clear the drainage channels and provide some palliatives to the people.

“We suffered during the 2022 floods severely. The disaster really affected us so much here and up till now, we have not received any help.”

Another resident, who gave his name only as Timi, said much of the losses incurred last year would have been averted if the relevant authorities had done the needful.

An environmentalist, Mr. Alagoa Morris, claimed that successive administrations in the state have not given flooding the attention it requires since its creation in 1996.

He said while the establishment of the Flood and Erosion Control Directorate by Governor Douye Diri looks good on paper, it needs to be empowered to deliver on its mandate.

Another resident, who gave his name only as Timi, said much of the losses incurred last year would have been averted if the relevant authorities had done the needful.

An environmentalist, Mr. Alagoa Morris, claimed that successive administrations in the state have not given flooding the attention it requires since its creation in 1996.

He said while the establishment of the Flood and Erosion Control Directorate by Governor Douye Diri looks good on paper, it needs to be empowered to deliver on its mandate.

Morris, the Coordinator, Environmental Right Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Bayelsa State, said: “Flood is not new to the Bayelsa environment, especially the annual floods that come between July and November yearly.

“In 1969, we experienced the biggest flood in this area before that of 2012. And sadly, we have experienced about five other monster floods since 2012, leading to loss of lives and property. That of last year, 2022 happened to be the highest so far.

“Incidentally, the NiMet has been predicting about the flood since 2013, and the first prediction failed as that of 2013 was very low even though it was predicted that it would be high.

“In Ijaw land, there is a saying that the danger heard in time by the lame person cannot kill him or her, as he or she will make attempt to escape the death or danger. In this wise, even though there isn’t much our people can do, they are trying to adjust their lives

“While individuals are thinking of how to harvest their crops in time so as not to lose them to the flood, some are thinking of where to relocate to when the flood arrives, even as the government is urged to clear natural canals and do more in preventing heavy losses.

“The Bayelsa State Government has set up a Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control, and this is a positive development as some of us have been advocating since 2018.

“What is left to be seen is whether the Directorate would be properly funded and effectively go about the terms of reference.”

Rivers sensitises residents

The Rivers State Flood Management Committee, which was set up to coordinate activities designed to mitigate the impact of the flood, has taken to the air waves to sensitise residents to the looming flood and asking them to prepare to move to higher grounds.

The authorities of the Abua, Opobo, Emohua, Okirika, Ahoada and Ikwerre local government areas, all of which are prone to flood, have also set up their own flood monitoring and intervention committees.

The committees were directed to carry out desiltation of drains and other water channels to allow free flow of water and to begin on time to procure relief materials to be distributed to victims.

The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, was said to have mobilised his team to undertake clearing of drains and bushes in the council.

It’s skeletal measures in Delta

Only skeletal measures have been put in place in the rural areas of Delta by the state government to check the impending flood.

An environmental activist In the Niger-Delta, Sheriff Mulade, said the state should not oncentrate all its efforts on the urban centres.

He claimed that concrete measures for checking perennial flooding in the low lying areas of Isoko North and South, Patani, Burutu, Bomadi, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa North and parts of Ughelli South LGA’s are largely non-existent.

He feared that many flood prone communities would be sacked should the NIMET prediction come to pass.

He admonished the Delta State Government to set up a flood management committee to coordinate efforts at mitigating the effect of flooding on inhabitants living in flood prone areas.

Mulade called for the establishment of permanent camps for those that may be displaced from time to time by flooding.

He said measures such as land reclamation and dredging of canals will in no small measure alleviate the sufferings of Deltans in flood prone communities.

He said: “Delta government has done nothing towards alleviation of the suffering of inhabitants in rural areas. We expect proactive steps to be taken such as dredging of silted canals and building of dams to check flooding.

“I urge the state government to immediately set up permanent internally displaced persons’ camps instead of the ad-hoc approach where emergency camp without adequate facilities are set up.

“NIMET has predicted that the 2023 flood is expected to be the worst since 2012.Yet the state government has refused to do anything, especially in rural flood-prone communities, to mitigate its effect when it begins.”

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has already ordered the demolition of all buildings on waterways across the state.

He said there was no place in the world where people are allowed to build on water channels.

Oborevworu directed the state ministries of Housing, Works and Lands to identify and pull down all such buildings to allow for the free flow of water on natural waterways.

The governor spoke recently during an inspection tour of Phases I and 2 of the Warri/Effurun Storm Water Control Projects in Warri South and Uvwie Local Government Areas of the state.

He said: “We started the inspection with Phase 2 of the storm water drainage project being handled by CCECC. They have five catchment areas. We have looked at their work and realised that they have done a lot as they have gone very far.

“They have some obstacles and we also looked at what is causing the obstacles and got to know that there are some buildings on natural waterways, which is causing obstructions and slowing down the spate of work being done by the construction firm.

“We also assured the contractors that all the buildings on the waterways, both in phase l and phase 2, will be brought down by the state government to enable them to finish their work seamlessly.”

We’re taking pro-active measures, says Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Government said it was up and doing in tackling the looming flooding.

Deputy Governor Akon Eyakenyi said that since flood incidents are natural disasters that cannot be stopped, government has started making preparations.

This includes the building of IDP camps across the 31 local government areas of the state for victims of flood disasters.

Government, according to her, was also training some personnel in disaster management.

Her words: “Since we can’t wish natural disasters away, we are taking proactive steps that can mitigate the effects of the disaster in our state.

“Akwa Ibom State has experienced its fair share of natural disasters and we cannot afford to be caught off-guard in the future occurrences.

“In this regard, there is urgent need for capacity building of stakeholders in disaster management in the state and local government areas, since time is of essence.

“There should be availability of work tools to agencies, the frequencies of flood disaster calls for proactive action and solution such as establishment of IDP camps for flood victims in the state and training of staff in the 31 LGAs of the state.” (The Nation)

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