The Nigeria Hydrological Services (NIHSA) has blamed sub-national governments, including state and local governments, for failing to heed “adequate and timely warnings” and weather advisories issued by various Federal Government agencies, including NIHSA and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in order to avoid a flood disaster in 2022.
“If our predictions were heeded by relevant sub-nationals, we will not have been where we are today but I am believing that following this year’s flood disaster across the land, the consciousness of relevant actors especially sub-nationals will be awakened to do the needful once they receive all these advisories,” NIHSA Director General, Clement Nze said on Saturday.
He also stated that earlier this year, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, wrote letters to state governors warning them of the impending devastating floods of 2022, but some of the governors ignored the warning.
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Nze said, “They (weather predictions) were out early enough to set the tone for what to expect in the course of the year. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency came out with February 15 to paint the picture of what to expect most likely and my own agency, Nigeria Hydrological Services, later followed suit.
“The Minister of Water Resources that gave the unveiling of the prediction, the annual flood outlook, issued warnings, issued letters to each state government in Nigeria and relevant ministries like agriculture, environment and aviation, informing them the specific locations in their states they should watch out for during the rainy season.
“The letters were authored by him (minister), signed and sent to the governors, they were informed and the necessary measures they ought to take.”
Over 300 people have been killed by devastating floods across Nigeria in 2022, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Flood kills 24 people in Katsina State
As a result of the flood and windstorm, 24 people were killed and 16,625 homes were destroyed in Katsina State.
The disasters occurred during the 2022 rainy season across the state’s 34 local government areas, and several people are said to have been injured to varying degrees.
According to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in a statement signed on Friday and issued by its Public Relations Officer, Umar Muhammad, a total of 1,620 farmlands have been submerged in the state’s Danja, Ingawa, and Kafur local government areas.
He claimed that as a result of the disaster, assets and farm produce worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Muhammad stated that the agency had assessed the damaged homes and farmlands in order to help the victims.
He went on to say that the state government would soon begin distributing relief materials to the victims.