“We have created over 33 camps in Kogi State. As I speak with you, between nine to 10 local governments are underwater, you can imagine the pressure on our resources. “So, we are doing our best in collaboration with federal agencies and security agencies to make sure that we evacuate them to high grounds, IDP camps and provide security to them and relief materials including medicals.”
The Federal Government has declared the flooding in four states as national disasters.
This was made known by the Director- General, National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Maihaja, on Monday.
The affected states are Kogi, Niger, Delta and Anambra.
The agency has also placed eight other states on its watch list.
Commenting on the development, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, said on Monday that victims of the flooding that hit about 10 local government areas of the state had been resettled in 33 camps in the state.
Bello, who spoke to journalists at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said he was around to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the development.
He said the government had been proactive in facing the problem by sensitising the residents of the affected communities and relocating them to high grounds.
He said, “We experience this periodically.
“In 2012, we were worst hit. We are praying that the situation will not exceed that this year.
“We are normally proactive to sensitise the people and evacuate them to high ground.
“We have created over 33 camps in Kogi State. As I speak with you, between nine to 10 local governments are underwater, you can imagine the pressure on our resources.
“So, we are doing our best in collaboration with federal agencies and security agencies to make sure that we evacuate them to high grounds, IDP camps and provide security to them and relief materials including medicals.”
He commended the Federal Government for its intervention so far, but said the situation required more of such help through the National Emergency Management Agency.
He said, “As usual, I came to brief Mr President on the situation report and the happenings in my state periodically. I am sure you are all aware of the flood problem that is happening all over the country and Kogi is worst hit being the confluence state, confluence of the two rivers.
“So, we are worst hit and I needed to come and present the report to him myself. Even though I sincerely appreciate Mr President for deploying relevant agencies like NEMA and all the security agencies to come to our aid.
“As I speak to you, NEMA is on their way to Lokoja to assess the level of damage and we received a substantial amount of relief materials so far, it is not enough. I need to present the report to him as well and also to tell him about the security of the state and how we are doing.”
