NEMA Warns Niger Communities of Impending Floods

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday warned communities in Niger that there would be more floods in some parts of the state this rainy season.
Mrs Lydia Wagami, Head of Operations, NEMA Operations Office, Minna, gave the warning during the Flood Preparedness, Mitigation and Response Sensitisation in Maikunkele, Bosso Local Government Area of the state.
Recall that the NEMA Boss, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed, had directed state offices of the agency to embark on the sensitisation to prevent communities from being flooded.
Wagami, represented by Alhaji Hussein Isah, Head Search and Rescue Unit in the office, warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage and water channels as well as building on flood plains.
“It is pertinent to note that we are still expecting more rains and we have already started receiving reports of flood disasters around the state”.
She advised vulnerable communities to be proactive by cleaning their culverts and drainage and stressed the need for communities downstream to relocate to higher grounds.
Also, Hajiya Ramatu Turaki, Head of Planning, Research and Forecasting Unit, disclosed that it had been predicted that there would be heavy rainfall in the next forty days across the country and advised the people to be alert.
Alhaji Abubakar Gomna, Chairman, Bosso local government, represented by his vice, Mr Sa’idu Zagi, appealed to NEMA to assist farmers in the area whose farm land were recently washed away by flood.
In his remarks, Alhaji Suleiman Dada, the District Head of Maikunlele, said he would sensitise his subjects to heed the flood warnings.