Senate directs NEMA, others to help flood victims nationwide

Senate on Tuesday directed the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and other relevant agencies to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to affected flood victims across the country, especially in Jigawa State.

The upper legislative chamber also urged relevant disaster management agencies to provide early warning to flood prone areas with a view to forestalling loss of lives and property in affected areas.

Senate resolutions to these effect were sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Danladi Abdullahi Sankara (APC Jigawa North West) and Co sponsored by Senator representing kogi Central, Sen Yakubu Oseni on recent tragic flood incidences that happened in several communities in Jigawa and Kogi State.

Senator Sankara in the motion titled: “Urgent need for humanitarian support and assistance to victims of flooding across the country, especially Jigawa State”, lamented that over 1500 houses of residents in Ringim, Kazaure , Gumel Dutse and Hadejia Emirates in Jigawa State were washed away with attendant loss of about 100 lives.

He added that thousands of persons including women and children were displaced and rendered homeless.

“Major parts of the affected local government areas are still submerged with the state emergency response agency not being able to handle the disaster.

“If urgent medical and humanitarian assistance are not deployed to the affected victims, a major health challenge may result from the disaster,” he stressed.

Sen Oseni while speaking, also urged the Federal Government, all relevant Agencies and stakeholders to come into the problem.

“The flooding in my state has killed some people, destroy properties, adding that we should be sensitizing our people on time based on NIMET predictions” Oseni said.

The upper legislative chamber, accordingly, directed relevant agencies to quickly assist the victims with a view to making life bearable for them.