…Disaster foretold by NiMet, FG Agency
By Mohammed Mohammed
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Flag Bearer in the 2023 presidential election, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday said the recent occurrence of flood across the country which caught the nation napping has reinforced the reality that the dawn of climate change is real and is here to with devastating consequences.
How prepared is Nigeria to tackle flood challenges, is however sufficing against the warning by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Sunday last week, September 4 which predicted that flood disaster is looming following it’s predicted rainfall amount and distribution in the month of August 2022, that the nation will come under severe flooding.
.
Recall that NiMet an agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Aviation urged the 36 State Emergency Management Agencies including the FCT NEMA to intensify adaptive, mitigative and response mechanism to tackle the disaster foretold.
While calling for humanitarian assistance to devastated areas ocassioned by the flood, Atiku, said: “The flooding that has followed torrential downpours in towns and villages in Nigeria – like other places around the globe, confirms this.
“The damage that has been occasioned on account of the floods are troubling. Public social facilities like schools and hospitals have been impacted.
“It may be safe to say, however, that no one carries the burden of these floods like our farmers.”
According to him, media reports abound of swathes of farmlands and food crops being washed away, adding that the
consequence of these losses by our farmers will be felt by all of us. Any hope of a bumper harvest is now diminished.
This he added will further add to misery in our towns and villages and in our cities as food prices continue to soar.
“I share in the pains of the victims of these flooding incidents, including communities that their local healthcare centers, markets and schools have been destroyed. Or, even individuals who have been displaced. I also condole with those who have lost their loved ones.
“Therefore, I urge governments at all levels to unveil a special humanitarian assistance programme to provide immediate succour to the affected communities.
“These unfortunate incidents should be a wake up call to the urgency of our responsiveness to the issues of climate change and global warming.” He added.
The PDP presidential candidate, said this is a clarion call that non-governmental organizations must equally harken to and place the focus of their advocacy on sensitizing the vulnerable public on how to manage and mitigate disasters of global warming.
Signed: Atiku Abubakar
Presidential Candidate of PDP.