Flood in Nigeria: Kogi to commence evacuation in 48 hours

Lokoja—Kogi State government has announced its intent to commence the process of evacuating people living in flood prone areas in the next 48 hours.
This came at a time victims of 2012 flood disaster in the cried cried out that they had been schemed out in the allocation of the post-flood estate built by the government for their relocation.

Yomi Awoniyi, the Deputy Governor and Chairman, flood Management Committee, said the evacuation protocols would be activated by the state government, if the water level continued to rise.

Awoniyi disclosed that the water from close monitoring, rises every hour, adding that the state was no longer as comfortable as it was believed.

He appealed to those living in flood prone areas to move upland to avoid severe loss of lives and properties.

The deputy governor said the water had so far risen to 9.66m, describing the present situation as disconcerting, especially as some communities in the riverine areas of the state had already been flooded.

Awoniyi disclosed that from reports so far received, some riverine communities in Kogi, Bassa and Ibaji LGAs of the state had been flooded.

He, however, described the present flooding of those areas as an annual occurrence,  pointing out that the situation at present was not as bad as the scenario in 2012.

While he noting that the state had been submerged by this time in 2012, Awoniyi maintained that the state government had placed all concerned  agencies on alert for the purposes of evacuation and rescue.

He appealed to the people to move upland to alternative places so as not to incur heavy losses and urged the people
to remain vigilant in the face of the rising water level.

According to him, government is working round the clock to ensure that lives and properties were secured.

Meanwhile, victims of 2012 flood disaster in Lokoja, Kogi State, have cried out that they had been schemed out in the allocation of the post-flood housing estate built by the state government to relocate them

The victims alleged that the 272 housing units were allocated to those not affected by the flood disaster but were given the houses based on their connection with officials of Land Ministry.

Spokesperson of the group, Mr. Apasi Tunde, who led a protest to the office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, yesterday in Lokoja, accused the state

Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development of double standard.

“In the month of May this year, the ministry directed us to pay the sum of N20,000 as allocation fees at a Diamond Bank account which we obliged. Having paid the sum, we were offered allocation forms, but the ministry refused to hand over the keys of the houses to us.

“Subsequently, some politicians, policemen and Okada riders went to the estate, force the doors opened and occupied the houses illegally,’’ he said.
Tunde wondered why the ministry found It difficult to eject the illegal occupants to enable the real victims take over the estate since the houses were built in their names to relocate them from river banks.

He said: “We were given allocation papers since the month of May, 2015. The number of the flat allocated to me was 256. Our effort to access the property was to no avail as illegal occupants took over the estate threatening to kill us if we dare come closer to the area.

“We went to the Ministry of land to see the Commissioner and for the past four months we have been going to his office but some people prevented us from seeing him. Now the illegal occupants were even bragging that it is only the state governor who can remove them from the estate.”

Another victim, Mallam Ibrahim Momoh, who presented copies of bank teller and the allocation form to newsmen, said: “Right now, flood has taken over my compound at Adankolo Riverside where I lived with my family.
Vanguardngr.