Kebbi State caucus in the House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to commission a study that will find solution to the perennial flooding in the country and avert possible food crisis.
Addressing news conference on the flooding situation which has washed away farm land across the state, the lawmakers said about N10 billion has been to the flood in the state and appeal to the Federal government to send relief materials to the affected areas to alleviate the suffering of the people.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency had warned that about possible flooding in several states of the federation with heavy flooding expected to arrive Nigeria from the upper Niger Basin from the first week of September, adding that states along the River Niger need to buckle up as a result of the coming flood.
However, heavy flooding has been experienced in Kebbi and some other states, with the North Western state heavily flooding and rice farms being washed away by the flood.
The agency said that information received from the regional Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Headquarters in Niamey had it that as at the Sunday, 23rd August, 2020, the flood level of River Niger monitored in Niamey was 6.60m, saying “this is already within the Red Alert Zone, saying “this current development portends some level of concern for Nigeria as there could be likelihood of river flooding in the states contiguous to River Niger, namely Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa.
Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, Chairman of the caucus, Rep. Muhammad Umar Jega said there was the need for urgent attention and assistance from the Federal Government to mitigate the flood, adding that the bridge in Jega town linking the north and south and Niger Republic on the verge of being washed away by flood.
He said “We the Kebbi State caucus of the House of Representatives commensurate with the government and people of Kebbi state over the flood disaster that has ravaged the entire state being the focal point of the Federal Government policy for rice production in the country.
“The disaster could not have come at a worse time for our farmers who hither to looked forward to a bumper harvest this year to reduce the rising cost of food items, it is a major setback to the Federal Government effort to boost local rice production as part of measures to end rice importation.
“The flood is a serious setback toward addressing food security in the country, the Government therefore, need to address the shortfall of the food supply chain to reduce the hardship and cost of food items in the market and also address the severe environmental degradation caused by the flood. This may include adequate and early preparation for dry-season farming and reconstruction of major infrastructure affected in the state.
“We commend the President and commander in chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria President Muhammad Buhari GCFR and the Executive Governor of Kebbi state Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for the prompt response to reduce the hardship caused by the flood.
“The estimated cost of the disaster is over ten billion Naira (N10, 000,000.00) across the state, We call on the Federal Government as a matter of urgency to send relief materials to alleviate the suffering of the people in the state, early preparation for dry season farming should commence in earnest with provision of seedlings, fertilizer and other inputs to be made available to the farmers in good time,
“We call on the Federal Government to commission a study with the aim of providing a lasting solution to the perennial flood disaster in the state.”
NIHSA has also warned that “the River Niger Basin which covers nine (9) countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, has Nigeria at the lowest portion of the Basin. This means that once the upper catchment of the Basin gets flooded, Nigeria should be prepared to experience flooding incident. As at today, the middle Niger of the Niger Basin made up of Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso and part of Mali, have been flooded.
“The flood levels at the hydrological stations monitored in Niamey (Niger Republic) and Malanville (Benin Republic) have gotten to the Red Alert Zone.
“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has continued to monitor the developments on River Benue sub-basin and has maintained close contact with the Cameroonian authorities with regards to flood scenarios in the upper catchment of the sub-basin.
“Information received by NIHSA from the relevant authority in Cameroon stated that the Lagdo Dam is still impounding water. It could be recalled that on the 10th of October, 2019, the operators of Lagdo Dam opened the Dam without first notifying ahead of time as contained in the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries. The situation is being closely monitored by the Agency.
“On account of poor drainage systems, flash and urban floods are expected to occur in major cities across the country, namely Birnin–Kebbi, Sokoto, Lokoja, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe, Yola, Makurdi, Abuja, Lafia, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin City, Oshogbo, Ado-Ekiti, Abakaliki, Awka, Nsukka, etc”
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