By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised the Kaduna State Government to evacuate communities around river banks because of the anticipated floods that might ravage the communities if proper measures are not taken.
NEMA Zonal Coordinator in charge of North-West, Musa Abdullahi Ilallah, said that about eight local government areas might be affected by flood.
He disclosed that, the agency has already alerted the state government on the issue.
Ilallah made this known on Monday while fielding questions from Journalists in his Kaduna office.
The NEMA Coordinator urged the state government to as a matter of urgency, embark on massive sensitization to inform the affected communities to see the need of moving away from the prone areas.
According him, “On our part, me, the Executive Secretary and the Zonal Coordinator of Hydrological Services Agency already carried out a Hausa program on Kaduna State media corporation in cognisance of targeting this communities that are likely to be affected” he said.
He explained that, “River Niger starts from Niger republic. The alert shows that if the rain continues as experienced in the last one week for the next four days, it is a signal that part of river Niger will be flooded and by implications, it means that a number of places will be affected with flood and going by the warning, its means that the experience of flood in 2012 will be a Child’s play this year which several states will be affected.
“My concern is the North West, particularly Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano and Katsina States following the warnings by the Director General of the agency, though we are able to reach out to States Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to enable them alert the communities living along the river banks. This rivers have links with the river Niger.”
He also disclosed that, the river basin cut-across Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina states, while river Hadejia cut across Jigawa, Kano and part of Bauchi.
“It was just two days ago Nigerian government received an alert from the Niger issuing a warning that all people living along the river bands should evacuate” he said.
