The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said over 110,000
people in 24 communities including Makurdi were displaced by flood.
The
Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Boniface Ortese, told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Wednesday that over 2, 769
households were also affected.
He explained that places affected
included Achusa, Idye, Wurukum Market, Genabe, Industrial Layout,
Demekpe, Wadata Market, Katungu, behind the Civil Service Commission,
Agboughul-Wadata among others.
“In Achusa 200 houses were
affected with 5,125 persons displaced. In Idye 217 houses were affected
while 5,200 persons were displaced.
“Also, behind the Civil Service Commission 200 houses were submerged in flood and 5,777 persons were displaced.
“At
Genabe, 200 houses were affected with 5,021 persons displaced, 218
houses around the Wurukum market were affected with 1,000 persons
displaced, and at Wadata market150 houses were affected and 4,300
persons were displaced.
“Similarly at Industrial Layout, 69
houses were flooded and 4,310 persons displaced; Demekpe 111 houses were
affected while 7,820 persons displaced,’’ the official said..
Ortese
further said that 137 houses were flooded in Katungu with 6,031 persons
displaced while at Agboughul-Wadata 201 houses were affected and 5,728
persons displaced.
He said that government was doing everything within its little resources to assist flood victims in the state.
Meanwhile,
the state commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Mr Joseph
Utsev has urged the Federal Government to include Benue among states to
benefit from the N1.6 billion ecological intervention fund.
Utsev said that since 2013, the state had not received any ecological assistance from the Federal Government.
He
said that if adequate budgetary provisions were made, many disasters
may be mitigated since natural disasters could only be controlled.
A man wades through the water more than knee length
The commissioner said that dredging the River Benue would provide permanent solution to the recurring flood in the state.
“Benue
Government is looking for ways in which River Benue can be dredged;
this is because by dredging the river, majority of the water can be
accommodated and thus, prevent future overflow.
“The ongoing
research so far, shows that the preliminary study would cost about N8
billion while the main project would gulp about N300 billion.
“And
this is where we need Federal Government financial intervention to
execute the project, since the funds are much,’’ he said.
However, a
cross section of Makurdi residents accused the Benue State Government of
doing little to protect the citizens from flood disaster over the
years.
A resident told NAN “since the 2012 flood disaster, government has done little to mitigate the situation apart from talking”
The
resident said that the perennial flood disaster was an opportunity for
some government officials to get free money and relief materials to
divert.
Mr James Udam, a resident of Idye Village told NAN that for
over twenty years of his stay in the village, government has done
nothing to protect residents despite their cries.
Udam said that year in year out they have been affected by flood yet government keep making promises without any action.
“This
is where we find ourselves in Benue. Government officials are rather
happy that there is heavy flood disaster so as to get free funds and
relief materials to divert.
“The same thing is again about to happen.
The only thing the government has done so far is to make noise. Not a
single culvert has been constructed to mitigate the situation since
2012,” he lamented
Also, Mrs Juliana Agbo, a resident of Achusa, told NAN that their situation was pathetic as they have no shelter.
According to her, government was yet to open camp for IDPs in the state.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that government officials involved
in emergency management are still awaiting the governor’s approval to
open IDPs camps.
The Akume led administration awarded a N2.2 billion
contract to CAD Nigeria Limited for the construction of water drainage
channel that will control all the running waters down to River Benue but
the project was abandoned.
Over 4000 households were submerged, property worth millions destroyed and scores died in the 2012 flood disaster.
NAN