In view of the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) that rainfall this season will be very high and could lead to flooding, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on all the state governments in the country to be proactive in preparing for the disaster.
The Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, stated this while receiving the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere in his office in Abuja. The NEMA boss added 2013 rainfall prediction by NIMET revealed that it will be higher than 2012.
Imo State was one of the states that was ravaged by flooding in 2012 which affected millions of people in the country killing 365 people in the disaster.
Sani-Sidi said “Your Excellency may be aware that NIMET had already released the Annual Rainfall Prediction which shows that there will be more rainfall this year which might translate to flooding in most of the states. From the prediction, the 2013 rainfall will be higher than 2012’s, which means that we might be confronted with a lot of flooding just like we experienced last year.
“Therefore, after the release of the prediction, the NEMA called for a stakeholders’ meeting to digest the NIMET prediction with a view to coming out with an early warning alert and I am pleased to inform you that we have since sent this alert to all the state governments.”
He urged all the deputy governors in all the states, who are by their position, the chairmen of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to heed the warning very seriously, while calling on the state governments to strengthen the SEMAs and the Local Government Emergency Management Committee in their respective State.
The NEMA boss said, “While recalling what happened last year, especially in your state where quite a number of communities were affected and hundreds of people were displaced. Therefore, early warning must be taking seriously.”