The flood ravaging many states in Nigeria which worsen over the last few weeks has assumed an alarming and National emergency proportion.It is described by many experts as the worst flood in Nigeria in recent history directly affecting and displacing more than 2 million people from their homes and resulting in more than 600 deaths.
The flood has brought the policy debate on the effect of climate change back to our National consciousness and the need for Nigeria and other developing countries to once more take the issue seriously.It is therefore expected that as Presidential candidates of different political parties continue with their electioneering campaigns,citizens will like to know how they would address the issues about climate change and global warming as it directly affect them and their source of livelihood.
Several sates across all regions of Nigeria are severely affected by the flood displacing millions of people from their shelters and damaging farmlands,places of worship, markets,offices and disrupting social and economic activities.In Northern parts of Nigeria states affected include Jigawa, Kogi,Niger,kano,Yobe,Borno,Kaduna,Kebbi and Sokoto states while in the south Bayelsa,Rivers,Anambra and Lagos are among the states affected.
Bayelsa states appears to be most severely affected states with most of the LGA and the all 3 universities & the University teaching hospital affected by the worst flood disaster in recent times.This compel the Bayelsa state government to declare a state of emergency and asked all civil servants except those on essential duties to proceed on a one week break due to the severity of the situation.
The Federal Government need to immedistely declare a National state of emergency and activate all agencies of government involved in emergency response to be on ground to provide humanitarian,social and medical services to all those affected.
The President need to take control of all emergency responses from Ministry of humanitarian affairs.He need to immediately embark on aerial assessment of the states affected by the flood and he need to address the Nation after the assessment to reassure the Nigerian citizens especially those affected that government is taking all necessary emergency measures in conjunction with the state governments to bring succour to those affected.
The enormity of the flood disaster has assumed a National emergency proportion and is beyond the capability of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian services to handle.This is also not the time to be blaming state governors that it is their responsibility to prevent flood or cater for flood victims.
The President need to immediately take charge and set up an inter-ministerial and inter-agency committe which he should chair and provide an immediate funding to provide food,temporary shelter and medical supplies to those affected.
Dr Bashir Mijinyawa is a Public Affairs Analyst and write from Abuja, Nigeria. He can be reached on: [email protected]
