The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised Edo residents living in flood-prone communities to relocate to higher ground to avoid disasters associated with flood.
Dahiru Yusuf, head of operations, Benin operation office, NEMA, stated this on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the agency in collaboration with the Edo State Emergency Management Agency in Benin City.
Yusuf, who said the call for residents to move upland became imperative so as to avert the devastating impact of the menace, however, lamented that inhabitants in communities prone to flood are refusing to relocate to safer regions.
“We advised the people to relocate from the flood areas because when it comes, it would be devastating. But we are finding it difficult to get them to move as lots of them don’t want to go to the camp. They don’t want to leave their ancestral home to a safer place where the government would provide the necessary facilities pending when the flood subsidizes”, he said.
He explained that the event was geared towards meeting stakeholders in emergency management to ascertain the level of preparedness in flood-prone local government areas and ensure that this year’s response is better than that of 2022.
Yusuf added that the agency is working to ensure that the state’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp is in good shape, fumigated, and has the necessary amenities in place so that it will be habitable for victims in case of flood.
He, however, urged residents to clear drainages and adhere to building plans, pointing out that “we have discovered some of the flood, especially not in the river bank, is as a result of one construction or the other.”
Helen Obayuwana, the head, Edo State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), on her part, said the government is worried as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) predicted additional three local governments to areas prone to flood in the state.
She recommended adequate drainage systems, reinforced river banks, and well- maintained canals as measures to channel water safely and prevent catastrophic flooding.
“We must recognise that flood prevention is key, and by investing in robust infrastructure, early warning systems and land-use planning, we can significantly reduce the vulnerability of our communities to floods,” Obayuwana stated. (BUSINESS DAY)
