Nigeria Flooding: 20 Delta communities submerged, 770 Benue households displaced

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• FG begins assessment of dams to avert disaster

No fewer than 20 communities in Delta State have been submerged and 770 households displaced in Benue State as floods continue to cause havoc across the country.

Worst hit by the Delta floods were Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Isoko North and Isoko South Local Government Areas with social life,schools, farmlands and properties destroyed.

Many of the communities have been rendered unreachable as the roads linking them were submerged.

Communities like Ibedeni, Asaba-Ase, Afor and others in Ndokwa are completely cut off from neighbouring towns and villages.

A resident of Ibedeni, Ikenchukwu, said the water level was so high that the road was completely covered making it hard for vehicles to wade through.

“No vehicles can pass because there are very bad spots on the road, and the water is covering it, so anyone that attempts, will fall or get stuck if you try to drive through,” he said.

Another resident of Ibedeni, Chuka, expressed concern over the impact on education as schools have been forced to close.

“The primary school is closed, while the secondary school is technically still open, teachers from outside the community haven’t been able to come because of the flood,” he explained.

“It looks as if it’s closed, but it’s really the flooded roads preventing access.”

In Isoko North, an Ofagbe resident, Afor said: “Some of our buildings and properties are under water, and people are being forced to leave their homes and find shelter on higher ground.”

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Mr. Festus Ahon, said, “As a state, we are committed to providing relief in terms of food, medical supplies, and educational support for school age children. Our flood management team, working with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), is currently advising coastal communities to move to higher ground.”

He urged those without alternative shelter to relocate to temporary camps, adding that plans to distribute food supplies to the most affected areas have reached an advanced stage.

With disruptions in transportation, housing, and education, the floods are presenting a growing challenge for communities in Ndokwa and Isoko North as residents brace for further consequences of the ongoing flood season.

770 households in Benue displaced

Benue State Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner, Aondowase Kunde, told reporters in Makurdi that no fewer than 770 households have been displaced by flood in the state on account of the rising water level that overflowed the banks of River Benue.

Kunde, who is also the Chairman, Flood and Disaster Management Committee, said that the situation was particularly bad in Makurdi, the state capital.

He said that the displaced persons were taking refuge in temporary camps.

“In most local government areas, people managed to stay beyond the river banks, but in Makurdi, approximately 770 households were displaced.

“About 520 displaced households are taking shelter in NKST Primary School Wadata, while 250 are in Gaadi Comprehensive Secondary School.

“These individuals have been provided with food and non-food items, including mattresses, containers, and rice, with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) offering continued support over the past two weeks.

He expressed hope that with the receding water levels, the displaced persons should be able to return to their homes by next week.

Kunde stated that the governor had ordered another assessment of the affected areas to confirm whether they were habitable.

The commissioner said that some homes might need fumigation to get rid of dangerous reptiles like snakes and even insects.

“As a temporary measure, the governor directed that we should assess and repair flood-damaged houses and ensure that they are well maintained before residents return to their homes,” he said.

“However, the government’s long-term plan is to construct houses in safer areas and relocate those living in flood-prone areas.

“The governor is committed to addressing these challenges, including post-flood recovery.”

FG begins assessment of dams to arrest situation, avert recurrence

Water Resources and Sanitation Minister, Joseph Utsev said in Owerri yesterday that the Federal Government had begun an assessment of dams across the country to stem the tide of flooding.

Utsev, represented by Mrs Oluwatosin Abiola, the Deputy Director, Geo-technical Divisional Head, Dams Department in the ministry, told reporters in Owerri, the Imo State capital that President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the ministry was to critically evaluate the integrity of dams in the country.

The minister, who heads the inter- ministerial committee, said the committee would also assess the environmental and social impacts on local communities and the extended environment.

“President Bola Tinubu wants all hands on the deck to arrest the challenge of flooding, hence the setting up of this inter-ministerial technical committee,” he said.

Already visited in the zone by the team are the Adada and Ivo dams in Enugu State, as well as Amauzari and Inyishi dams in Imo.

He added that the findings would form an action plan to solve challenges faced by dam construction in Nigeria and address challenges associated with flooding, water supply, irrigation and hydro- electric power generation.

He said that to expedite activities of the committee, he inaugurated a technical sub – committee chaired by his Ministry’s Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations.

The sub-committee comprises technical offices from the member ministries; the Office of the National Security Adviser; Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation; the Nigeria Society of Engineers; the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and other technical experts.

“The overall mandate is to undertake detailed assessment of dams in Nigeria to determine their structural integrity and impact on downstream conditions as well as on the social and environmental conditions of riparian communities.

“The technical sub-committee also visited the Alau Dam in Borno from October 12 – 16, 2024 alongside the Committee on Assessment of Alau Dam constituted by the Borno state government,” he said.

This year’s flooding has caused extensive damage in many parts of the country, the worst so far being the September 9 incident in Maiduguri, Borno State that claimed over 30 lives and affected 414,000 people.

Within a few days of the tragedy, over 300,000 people registered as Internally Displaced People (IDP) in at least 26 relocation sites, according to the Borno State Government’s Emergency Operations Centre.