National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged riverine communities in Nasarawa State on the fringes of River Benue to relocate to higher grounds in view of the impending flood.
Mallam Lanre Onilu, Director – General of NOA, made the appeal during a media and stakeholders engagement on “Flood Safety Alert” on Sunday in Lafia.
According to him, the appeal to the riverine communities to move to high grounds became necessary considering the rising water level in River Benue due to the release of waters from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Onilu, represented by Director, Planning, Research and Strategy, Alh. Yusuf Kobi, explained that the stakeholders engagement aimed at intensifying sensitisation for the flood frontline states to take precautionary measures to avert loss of lives and property in the event of flooding.
“We are here to monitor flood safety alert campaign by our various offices in the 11 flood frontline states across the country, of which Nasarawa state is one.
“We started with Kogi, followed by Edo, Anambra, Benue and here we are in Nasarawa today, the same campaign is on going in Rivers, Cross River, Adamawa and Taraba states respectively.
“We are sensitising the riverine communities to be proactive, we should not allow what happened in 2012 and 2022 to happen again, where many lives were lost and thousands of houses were submerged,” he said.
The director general, while appreciating the support of the stakeholders, called for a robust collaboration with the traditional rulers and the media to amplify the message in order to save lives and property.
“I want to encourage our officers nationwide to take people’s response on issues, especially flood to enable us submit a comprehensive report to the government to mitigate impacts of flooding,” said.
Also speaking, Dr Priscilla Gondoaluor, Director NOA, Nasarawa State, said that the state had experienced its share of the flood disaster within the last three years with attendant lost of lives and property.
She appealed to flood- prone communities to take precautionary measures such as evacuation, cleaning of drains, building of flood defence barriers, as well as stockpile essential supplies like foods, water, and first aid kits at easily accessible location.
“All our offices in the 13 LGAs are already out particularly in the flood prone areas, creating awareness. Our jingles in english and in indigenous languages are already on air.
“We are also embarking on advocacy visits to traditional and religious leaders,” she said.
On his part, a traditional ruler, Mr Sunday Namo, the Aren Koron Kuje, said that giving the devastating effects of flooding, the traditional rulers in the state had taking it upon themselves to create awareness and educate their subjects to relocate from valleys to high grounds.
Namo commended NOA for the initiative and said that it would add impetus to the flood awareness already started by the traditional rulers in the state.
“It’s indeed one of the cardinal objectives of the traditional rulers in the state to sensitise and educate our subjects on issues of great importance as this flood safety alert,” he said.