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Says government cannot afford a repeat of the Mokwa disaster
From John Adamu, Minna
Following the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s (NiMet) forecast of widespread thunderstorms and rainfall across the country, the Niger State government has advised communities living along riversides to immediately relocate to higher ground.
In a statement issued in Minna on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Media, and Strategy, Hon. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, the government emphasised the urgent need for residents along riverbanks to move to safer locations to avoid potential disasters.
Vatsa said the government cannot afford another catastrophic event like the recent Mokwa flood disaster, which claimed over 200 lives and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.
He noted that, despite NiMet’s warning, Niger State is prone to flooding, with over 2,000 communities across 15 local government areas living along riversides.
“We need to be proactive to avoid the Mokwa experience, and that is why the state government is advising people living by the riverside to immediately begin to relocate to a safer place. The warning by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency should not be taken for granted.
“The government will soon embark on a statewide awareness and sensitisation of the people on the need for them to detach themselves from their ancestral homes as the rain approaches. They can return after the rainy season,” he added.
The statement urged traditional, community, and religious leaders to assist the government in sensitising their subjects and followers to adhere to flood warnings and take precautions.
Vatsa further highlighted NiMet’s three-day weather outlook, released in Abuja, which predicted early morning thunderstorms in northern states, including Kaduna, Adamawa, and Taraba, and heavier rainfall and storms in Borno, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Kogi, Benue, and Nasarawa states, among others.