NIHSA to governors: Treat flooding with seriousness you give political rallies

Clement Nze, director-general of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), says many states are not taking steps to prevent flooding.

Speaking when the 2021 flood outlook was presented in Abuja, Nze said states have maintained a carefree attitude towards flood warnings over the years.

“Last year, the minister sent a letter to all the state governors in Nigeria and informed them in detail of what to expect, yet not too many states are doing something about it,” he said.

Nze urged state governors to use the same energy for political activities when tackling environmental challenges such as flooding.

He said: “It could be avoided or eliminated. The tempo of political activities they exhibited during the elections should be replicated in tackling this disturbing issue of flooding in the states.

“LGA councillors should be able to domesticate this information in their own locations but this doesn’t happen.

“Once the disaster occurs, they are quick to cry to high heavens, but in terms of reducing the impact of flooding before it occurs, they don’t seem to be doing much.”

The NIHSA DG also warned that going by historical data, there are indications that 121 LGAs in 27 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) are likely to experience flooding this year.