The Chairperson, Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET), Ambassador Idris Ozovehe Muraina has callled on Kogi State government to quickly put mechanism in place in order to render support to the victims of the 2022 flood disaster.
Muraina who is also the Executive Director, Renaissance Care and Empowerment Foundation (RECEF) based in Kogi State made the call in Lokoja while speaking on the current flood disaster in Kogi state.
He said that over 1000 houses within Lokoja have been submerged in water , noting that Bassa, Ibaji , Ofu, Idah , Olamaboro, Ajaokuta , Dekina, Kogi Koton-Karfe local government areas of Kogi state have suffered similar fate.
According to him, “What is happening now in Kogi state is massive flood disaster that need the assistant of the federal government and other well meaning individuals, corporate organizations and international agencies.
“The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) produces the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) annually in fulfilment of its statutory obligations and
sometimes ago the agency issued a statement and provided a guideline giving us the projection of what the situation will look like this year with respect to flood across the country.
“The agency said there is likely hood of massive flooding in some states in Nigeria and for us the Kogi NGOs , we tried to engage people with the NiMet report through a radio programmes held two months ago talking to residents living on low land the need for them to move up land because of the impending flood disaster.
“As part of our sensitization we urged the state government to strengthened the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to be at alert in case the flood disaster come as earlier predicted” he said.
He charged the state government to be proactive in setting up Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in ten local government areas of Kogi state where flooding always cause damage.
He commended the Give Directly an international organization that provide support for people facing emergency cases and Christians aid who are in Kogi state to create a data base of people affected by the 2022 flood disaster.
