The Director General, Benue State Council on climate change, Dr. Daniel Mailumo, on Wednesday urged residents of the state to take decisive steps on ways to mitigate the impact of the impending flood disaster saying, taking anticipatory action can save lives and livelihoods.
Speaking during a flood awareness and sensitization campaign in Makurdi, Dr. Mailumo told residents that as climate change increased flood risk, community anticipatory actions is the best way in helping vulnerable communities prepare in advance.
Dr. Mailumo said the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and NEMA had sent early warnings to states, announcing that Benue was among the states to be flooded during the rainy seasons.
According to him, “there is no excuse for waiting for disaster to strike and forcing vulnerable communities to make up for lost time.”
He advised residents living at the river banks to move to safer places or those provided by the government.
He announced some local government areas affected in the impending disaster to include; Makurdi, Gwer East, Otukpo, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Buruku, Tarkaa, Apa and Agatu among others.
The awareness campaign was carried out in areas earmarked for flood including, Wadata, Wailomayo, Achusa, Nyiman, Genabe, Logo I and II, Gyado Villa, Wurukum and parts of North Bank communities, adding that the sensitization campaign in Makurdi will be replicated in all the flood prone local government areas.
In her remarks, the Director General Benue Geo Mining Company, Mrs. Erdoo Mngohol- Aga, advised residents, especially women and youth to take decisive steps to mitigate flood as they were the worse hit of the disaster.
She said they could take preventive measures of clearing up water ways, gutters, culverts and bushes as those were major hindrances to water flows.
