NIWA donates food items, N5m cash as palliatives for 2022 flood victims in Kogi.

IDRIS AHMED, LOKOJA

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has donated food items worth millions of naira and N5 million Naira cash to Kogi State Government for onward distribution to the victims of the 2022 flood to cushion the effects of the menace.

Presenting the items to the Commissioner for Environment, Victor Omofaiye, in Lokoja, the Managing Director of National Inland Water Ways Authority NIWA Dr George Kingsley Mohgalu, said the contribution is being done simultaneously in eleven flood prune states across the country.

Moghalu, commended the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) on its early warning that the flood is likely to occur this year in the state, advised governments and the people to be proactive in order to mitigate the effects on the economic lives of the people.

He explained that aside from the donation, the organisation has embarked on sensitizing the people on the need to open up channels to allow the free flow of water in identified areas to reduce the effect of the flood.

While urging the government at all levels to commence aggressive sensitisation campaigns on how to mitigate the flood, the NIWA Managing Director warned against indiscriminate disposal of wastes into channels which could lead to flooding.

He equally promised that NIWA will deploy vessels to move people and goods to their destination free of charge if the disaster reoccurred as was the done in 2022.

While commending Kogi state government for being proactive in tackling floods in the state, especially with the provision of flood housing estates, the Managing Director, promised to cooperate with relevant agencies to tackle the menace of the flood.

Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, represented by the state Commissioner of Environment, Hon.Victor Omofaye, thanked the Management of NIWA for the donation and pledged to ensure that all measures to hedge against the flood are adequately adhered to and to step up awareness campaigns across the state.

The governor, said the government would do everything within its power to ensure that the predicted flood would have little or no adverse effect on the livelihood of the people.

He solicited more support from individuals and corporate organisations to lend their assistance to the state so as to mitigate the flood.

While thanking NIWA for their continued support, the Governor appealed for more assistance to reduce the devastating effects on the state.

He appealed to residents living on the flood plain to relocate to government facilities, saying, it takes only the living to live in the abode of their forebears.

Items donated include; 200 bags of rice, 200 bags of beans, and 200 bags of maize, others are 200 cartons of noodles and 200 gallons of vegetable oil as well as five million naira.