The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to adequately fund and equip the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to enable it cope with disasters, including flood.
The house also urged the government to fund Federal Fire Service and other security agencies for effective performance.
It urged the government to get NEMA to send relief materials to victims of flood in Benue, who were currently in camps and other shelters in Makurdi.
These were sequel to a motion co-sponsored by Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev, Rep. Mark Gbillah, Rep. Sadiq Ibrahim and Rep. Obinna Chidoka.
Moving the motion, Orker-Jev said that torrential rainfall and release of massive volumes of water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon always resulted in huge flooding in Benue.
He said that the development was often with devastating environmental, social and health challenges to thousands of residents, many of whom were displaced.
The lawmaker called on the Federal Government to urgently commence the dredging of River Benue and construct dams on the river, especially on the Upper Benue at Dasin Hausa in Adamawa.
He said that the measure would boost agricultural production and control flood by conserving excess water to serve as “buffer to the water being released annually from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon”.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.