Flood devastates 3 states

In the last two weeks, three states of Benue, Kaduna and Nasarawa have witnessed cases of flooding that have led to the submerging of houses and rendering residents homeless.
Earlier this year, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency released its annual rainfall pattern predicting above average rainfall in certain parts of the country, adding that the rain would not cause flood.
According to NiMET, any flooding experienced in the country will definitely not be because of excessive rainfall but the release of water from the Lagdo dam or the incidence of flash floods which is caused by high intensity of rainfall for a short period.
The NIMET Director Weather Forecasting Services, Mr. Ifeanyi Nnodu, maintained that there will not be flood in 2015.
“There are two types of flood. Flood that you have because the soil is saturated and flood that you have because there is high intensity rainfall – the rate of rainfall is more than the rate of absorption of water so the runoff we can call flooding. There is equally flooding you will have if the drainages are not cleared, that does not mean that you have excess rainfall but we predicted that this year we will not have excessive rainfall.
“What we are experiencing now is not because of excessive rainfall in Nigeria but rather because of the release of water from the dam and if there are flooding, it may be flash floods caused by high intensity rainfall i.e high volume of rainfall within a short period of time,” he added.
But in spite of the denial by NIMET, Demekpe, Wadata Rice Mill, Agboughul village, Mobile Barrack, Achusa village and Logo areas of Makurdi were heavily flooded last weekend with over 150 houses submerged.
Two people have been reportedly killed and 60 houses utterly destroyed in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State due to flood that hit the area after a heavy down pour.
In Nasarawa State, commuters and motorists were held hostage for over six hours last Sunday due to massive flooding that rendered the Abuja Keffi Expressway impassable.
The Ministry of Environment has sounded a note of warning to Nigerians, urging them to prepare for the days ahead as flood replica of what was experienced in the country in 2012 was imminent.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Fatima Mede, who made the call said it has become imperative in order to sensitize the public of the impending flooding across the country which would be occasioned by the gradual release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam by Cameroon which they have hinted could take place anytime soon and the massive rains in the coming months.
According to the ministry, the states likely to be affected include Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Benue and Kogi states.
On a general scale, she disclosed that massive rains are also expected to cause flooding in Sokoto, Niger and Anambra states.
She further said coastal flooding resulting from rise in sea level and tidal surges are likely to occur in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Lagos states, while flash flooding could possibly be experienced in some urban locations such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Birin Kebbi, Ibadan and other towns along the country’s coastline.
Mr. Charles Usman, founder of the Good Nigeria Initiatives, said it would be catastrophic to allow Nigerians experience what happened in 2012.
The coming of the flood against the predictions by NIMET is a clarion call on states to take action and for President Buhari to beam his search light on what happened to the N17 billion collected by the Dangote committee to rehabilitate the 2012 flood victims, he said.
Usman said: “We cannot continue to operate as if nobody is looking. You cannot collect so much money to rehabilitate people whose livelihood were destroyed by flood and pocket the money while the people suffer.”