“We have not reached a situation in my view where the relevant emergency management authorities have not been able to deal with this situation. I’m not aware that has happened.”
The Nigeria’s government, on Thursday, said it will not declare a state of emergency on the ravaging flooding in some parts of the country because it is not overwhelmed by the incidents yet.
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said this during an interview on Channels Television.
With over 600 lives lost and properties worth billions destroyed, the country is arguably facing one of its worst flooding incidents in decades.
The recent floods have displaced more than a million persons from their homes as some of the government’s infrastructural facilities were also affected by this unprecedented development.
Some of the most affected states include Kogi, Anambra, Rivers, Benue, Yobe, Delta, Cross River and Bayelsa.
When asked why Nigeria has not declared a state of emergency like neighbouring Chad, Mr Adamu, who admitted the dire conditions of this year’s victims of flood, said Nigeria has not got to that crisis point.
He said the country would only do so if all relevant agencies complain of being overwhelmed.
“It’s certainly an emergency situation but it all depends on what you mean by the declaring state of emergency. We have not reached a situation in my view where the relevant emergency management authorities have not been able to deal with this situation. I’m not aware that has happened.
“We have governments, we have the federal government, we have state governments or state emergency management agencies and the Federal Emergency Agency. And I think they have not in any way said that they have been overwhelmed by what they have been doing,” the minister said.
Mr Adamu debunked the claim in some quarters that it was poor planning on the part of government that led to the floodings.
The minister said the latest cases of flooding in some states in the country were largely human making due to their years of disregard for nature and proper planning.
“The flood is a combination of many things. First and foremost, there is a natural disaster, like an earthquake and everything. There is an act of God but there is also a human aspect to it. For this, one particular thing I will say is that for hundreds of years, well, decades, let me exaggerate. We have been bastardising our watersheds. We have been deforesting our lands, we have been degrading our soil, that is one aspect.
“Secondly, many Nigerians just refuse to be law abiding. They have built on water courses, they have blocked drains and water channels. So many activities have been done. Yes. And of course, I will accept that there are certain strategies that are to be taken, maybe engineering solutions, that over a long period of time have not been addressed, but that is also probably because of the nature and the level of our economy.
“Water resources management is a very, very expensive venture that is a time consuming venture. To even study alone takes years to be completed. So it is a combination of so many issues, really,” the minister explained.
Mr Adamu also dismissed the assumption that the release of water from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroon caused the havoc.
He said the water contribution of the dam is low compared to the volume of water Nigeria generates internally.
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