As the sensitisation programme on communities impacted by the release of Lagdo dam continues, the Director General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu has tasked affected communities to quickly relocate to safe locations.
At Kogi state ,the DG said all efforts by the Agency is to achieve minimal impact on these communities with the hope that information will help communities take good decision.
The NOA flood sensitisation evaluation team included Alhaji Nura Kobi Yusuf of the department of Planning research and strategy, Emeka Egbugara of the Environment, Energy and climate change department and Paul Odenyi of the Press Unit.
The team first port of call was Edeha, a fishing community living off the Niger River lane in koton karfe.
The team had joined the sensitisation programme of the state Directorate to the community which has been submerged 80%. Also at the sensitisation forum were representatives of kogi state government led by Dr. Sandra Mimi Nura and other officials of the state emergency management Agency.
Kogi state Director, AbdulGaniyu Dare, said NOA will take the sensitization programme to the nine local councils likely to be affected by the release of water from Lagdo Dam.
Yusuf Kobi, who spoke for the DG urged affected communities to urgently take the opportunity of the state government resettlement programme to ensure that nobody is at risk from the flooding.
He emphasised the urgency of the sensitization program for affected residents.
The affected communities, including Adamugu, Akpaku, Oniwaru, Owara, Igamuma, Adabode, and Egaki according to the community leader, Chief Abdullahi Isah are beginning to evacuate to safer locations.
The Maigari of Lokoja Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Gambo who also met with the team expressed gratitude to NOA, noting that his people are accustomed to recurrent floods and are reluctant to leave their ancestral homes saying NOA sensitisation will help to change attitude of local community members.
Other locations visited were Ikpata Market, Ganaja, known locally as 500 Unit Ajaokuta LGA, as part of their efforts to assess the situation and provide support.
The visit underscored the need for coordinated action and awareness to address the risks associated with flooding.
