House of Representatives has charged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to liaise with the relevant federal agencies to ensure the relocation of Nigerians from flood-prone areas.
The House also asked NEMA to ensure the Federal Government of Nigeria stockpiles sufficient quantities of temporary shelter materials, food and nutrition items and medicine to support people in flood-prone areas.
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It further invited the director-general of NEMA and other agencies of the federal government to brief the House on the measures in place to mitigate flood disasters and manage the socio-economic impact on the citizens resident in the flood-prone areas.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on: “Need to Commence Active Measures to Mitigate the Probable Devastation of a Severe Flood Season and prepare Palliative Intervention to Prevent the worst Socio-Economic Consequences for Nigerians in the Affected Areas,” Moved by Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos).
Also adopting an amendment to the motion, the House called for the implementation of the Presidential Committee on Management of Floods and Disasters in Nigeria.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had in November 2022, inaugurated a Presidential Committee saddled with the development of a comprehensive action plan for preventing flood disasters in the country which amongst others recommended the establishment of a National Flood management Council (NFMC).
Moving the motion, Gbajabiamila said a large portion of the country from North to South, East to West is prone to annual destructive flooding incidents which recurring events have, in recent years, increased significantly in severity and the extent of the devastation of lives and property.
“Also notes that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in January this year released the seasonal climate prediction with a forecast of early onset of rain across the country and heavy rains throughout the season, the prediction of an early rainy season has already come to pass, there is every reason to expect the forecast of a heavy rainy season will also come to fruition.
“Concerned that the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook prepared by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency Shows that 178 Local Government Areas in 32 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory fall within the highly probable flood risk areas;
“Aware that Nigeria is yet to recover from the 2022 flood, which affected more than four million Nigerians, displaced over two million people, caused the death of six hundred and sixty-five (665) people, damaged about three hundred and fifty-five thousand nine hundred and eighty-six (355,986) houses and homesteads and destroyed an estimated total of 944,989) hectares of farmland;
“Also, aware that the experience of the 2022 flood caused the Federal Government of Nigeria to constitute a Presidential Committee to develop a comprehensive Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disasters in Nigeria, the Action Plan proposes structural and non-structural measures, land and water management systems and better coordination amongst stakeholders across the Federal and State Governments to ensure effective flood management in Nigeria,” he stated.
The former speaker noted that with sufficient preparation and collaboration between the federal and state governments, the country can mitigate the loss of life and the socio-economic hardships caused by these recurring flooding events.