The National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity has demanded for a State of Emergency on the flood disaster ravaging many states in the country.
About 600 people have died and over a million people have been displaced across the 31 states in Nigeria that have experienced flooding.
The NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje in a press statement entitled: ‘FG must mitigate Nigeria’s perennial’ issued via electronic mail while condoling with victims of the flood disaster across the country.
He said the organisation was “extremely saddened that successive administrations have failed to take the right steps to arrest these predictable tragedies.”
Owoaje tasked the Federal Government to deploy the military, paramilitary formations and relevant agencies to immediately evacuate those still at flood prone areas in Bayelsa, Anambra, Delta, Cross River and Rivers States against the backdrop of a warning that these states are still at risk.
According to him, news that over a million people have been displaced and living in harsh conditions in the various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps should attract the attention of the Federal Government and respective states by taking steps to ameliorate their living conditions instead of abandoning them to their fate.
Owoaje challenged the electorate in flood ravaged areas to extract concrete assurances from politicians canvassing for votes on the construction of the Dasin Hausa Dam to mitigate the effect of flooding.
“The onus is on Nigerians to ensure whoever is seeking their votes for the highest office in the land must pledge his sincere commitment to completing the project in the shortest possible time. This is election season, and voters (especially in the flood-ravaged zones) have a golden opportunity and duty to extract these commitments from politicians as they canvass for their votes,” Owoaje added.
He called for regular dredging of the River Niger and Benue as well as the government taking issues of climate change very seriously and stopping building on flood plains.
The statement read in part: “It has also become imperative for the Federal Government to see to the regular dredging of the River Niger and Benue using the sand for sandbanks and beaches across the length to improve River flow. In addition, there is a need to initiate a robust integrated River basin management for effective flood risk reduction.
“Climate Change is a reality and the governments in Nigeria must wake up to this reality. The various state governments responsible for land allocation must henceforth desist from the dangerous policy of allocating lands for building in floodplains and flood prone areas.
”Many of the states that suffered flooding also have their topography distorted from indiscriminate building on natural canals and unchecked dumping of refuse into water channels and drainage systems
“We encourage citizens to become more active and vocal in governance issues by demanding accountability from their various state governments over the use of ecological funds.”
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