UTA sympathises with victims, suggests preventive measures

By Seyi Babalola

The United Towns Agency for North South Cooperation (UTA), an international Non-Governmental Organisation has sympathized with the Borno government and victims of the flood disaster that ravaged Maiduguri, the state capital, calling for speedy intervention from the Federal government and other relevant authorities.

The organization made this known on Monday in a statement signed by the Country President, Ambassador Abigail Amalaha urging the federal government to always make arrangements for proactive measures against such occurrences.

The statement reads; “The unfortunate situation would have been ameliorated if not totally averted if the government have adhered to warning signals and put other proactive measures in place having realized that apart from the fact that the state is prone to flood, similar disaster have happened in the state over three decades ago.

“According to experts, there had been cracks in the dam’s walls, and erosion had taken over the embankments, a result of years of abandonment that weakened its structure.

“From all indications, the Alau Dam collapse could have been averted if the government and other relevant authorities had heeded warnings from environmentalists within the region”.

The statement added, “It is incumbent on the state government to put all measures in place to ensure non-occurrence of similar disasters whether in the immediate or foreseeable future.

“It is very unfortunate that nearly half of the state capital was affected by the disastrous flood after the Alau Dam, a critical infrastructure designed to regulate water flow and provide irrigation and drinking water, overflowed following heavy rainfall.

“Thousands of houses were buried underwater as the rampaging heavy rainfall swallowed people. Most families lost track of one another, while Hundreds of residents lost their homes to the disaster. This is very unfortunate.”

“It is worrisome that the attendant calamity from the flood disaster includes the destruction of thousands of homes and infrastructures, escape of dangerous animals and reptiles from the Sanda Kyarimi Zoo and the escape of several inmates from the correctional centre in the state.

“According to government, through the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, about 30 persons were killed by the flood, over 400, 000 residents were displaced and about one million people were affected by the disaster. It is unfortunate that this time around, the terror that turned the troubled city in the North East into tears and sorrow is not as a result of insurgents and violent extremists.

“We hereby call on both the federal and state government as well as all relevant agencies to identify the best ways of assisting the victims, apart from the immediate succor they have put in place; but also create a robust response plan that would address not only immediate needs but also long-term recovery and rebuilding strategy for the state.

“While sympathizing with the victims, we also call on all well-meaning individuals, corporate organisations, international bodies to come to the aid of the victims, as well as the state, not only for their immediate need for survival but also to avert the eruption of epidemic in the state.”