Flooding: NIHSA says governors not heeding to predictions

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has decried the state governors poor response towards flood precautions.

NIHSA’s Director General, Clement Eze, in a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, noted that the state governors do not engage the flood-related agencies in states but rely on the Federal Government for support.

“It is unfortunate that the flooding incidents are manifesting just as predicted by NIHSA. This means that the relevant stakeholders, especially individuals and state governments has failed to heed the warnings issued before the onset of flooding season in the country”, he said.

Eze, lamented the poor utilization of funds by state governments as most cities are suffering from the effect of flood.

Eze speaking further said that state governments should leverage on it’s ecological funds as well as the emergency management agencies to address flooding in states. Some governors have offices regarding environment and ecology. They are supposed to leverage on those to address issues of flooding in their states.

“Federal Government is doing its own part, but the states that know every local government areas should do something.” he said.

Eze further warned that the country would experience severe flooding in the coming weeks.

“The localised urban flooding incidents being witnessed in some cities and communities in the country are expected to continue due to high rainfall intensity of long duration, rainstorms, blockage of drainage system and poor urban planning resulting in erection of structures within the floodplains and waterways,” he added.

 

Onyinye Nwachukwu