Owing to the devastating effects of floods to residents, the Kogi state government is seeking for assistance from international organizations and corporate bodies to be able to build a befitting estate for floods victims in the state so as to put an end to their perennial hardships.
Making this appeal on Wednesday , the Special Adviser to the governor on Humanitarian, Hajiya Amina Usman Musa while speaking at Kogi State Flood Humanitarian Preparedness Plan for 2023 Stakeholders Engagement Meeting said the state needed to construct the phase two Flood estate to be able to put a lasting solution to annual menace.
She disclosed that the State government has put all necessary things in place to mitigate the impending flood, stressing that intensive sensitization has been carried out in all the local government areas that are proned to the floods
Hajiya Musa explained that Kogi State government collaborations with international organisations are preparing hard to ensure that people would not be victims in the impending 2023 flood, following the Nigerian Meteorological Agency NIMET prediction that there would more rainfall in 2023 and likelihood of serious flood across the country.
” Moving forward the Kogi State government. is trying all possible means to prepare for a permanent relocation for the people living at the river banks and prone area and in order to achieve this we are seeking the support on two of the following:
“Relocation of communities and flood affected victims to a higher ground for safety. (temporary) Construction of flood housing estate phase 2 (permanent).
“The building of flood estate phase 2 is a continuation to the already existing phase and the issue of relocation of the flood victims is very paramount that the Kogi State Government through the Bureau of lands provided land for the construction and the relocation of the affected victims.
“These lands are Situated at Karara, Jamata, Wada road bypass, off Ganaja and Area 10 part of the State. These locations were visited during the last stakeholders meeting.
“IOM in their proposition, has offered to support the state to build temporary evacuation camps while we seek more partners on the prospects to achieve the goal of building a new community for permanent relocation.
“However, after the conclusion of the last stakeholders meeting. it became necessary for the State government to start working on gathering the entire necessary instrument. needed to apply for request of fund on this flood issue at the federal level.
“The flood issue is a very huge project for the state and Will only require the financial assistance from the Federal Government and Development partners to achieve our goal” she added
Meanwhile, Hajia Musa said her office is also open to receiving humanitarian emergency relief items from individuals and corporate organization to help cushion the expected effects of the flood
According to her, “the Office of the Special Adviser on Humanitarian together with Ministries and Agencies of the state, are working on Compiling a humanitarian planning document
“This document will serve as a guide in the future. The office is also open to receiving humanitarian emergency relief items as a competent flood warehouse and a warehouse manager is readily available”
She said the stakeholders meeting was called in line with the desire to continue to seek support from credible partner saying, “we have converged here today for the second phase of the stakeholders meeting to discuss and deliberate on the preparedness, modalities, plan and strategies on the predicted flood for 2023.
“To continue consultation and identify needs related to early warning and preparedness for the anticipated flooding and to identify the existing government resources available to contribute to flood early warning and preparedness system,”,she stated.
Hajiya Musa stressed further that they are expected to identify gaps and provide recommendations for short term, medium term and long term solutions for flood early warning pand preparedness system.
“Expected Outcomes are to “map out government available resources and gap response to the expected flood for 2023 and identify the potential UN agencies NGOs. NGOs. Private sector actors that can compliment the government effort with their respective areas of mandate and available resources, ” she added.
