Time to act against flood is now, by JADI

Fool me once, shame on you but when you fool me twice, it is shame on me is a famous Chinese proverb. It is also said that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. However, the story of Nigeria and Nigerians concerning flooding appears to defy these time tested wise sayings.
The 2012 flooding was the worst natural disaster in Nigeria in over 40 years with total losses resulting from it put at N2.6 trillion. The flood affected over seven million people, displaced 2.3 million people, killed over 363 persons and destroyed or damaged about 597,476 houses.
In February 2013, Nigeria Meteorological Services (NIMET) released its Seasonal Rainfall Prediction and warned that the entire western parts of the country are likely to be flooded later in the year. The agency has been regularly updating the information since then.
Also, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) said in its 2013 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) for Nigeria that 156 Local Government Areas in Zamfara, Yobe, Sokoto, Rivers, Taraba, Plateau, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Niger, Nasarawa, Lagos, Kwara, Kogi, Kebab, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Gombe, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Cross Rivers, Benue, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, and Adamawa would experience devastating flood before the end of the year.
Following these warnings, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has written letters to all the states and local governments affected, addressed press conferences and embarked on advocacy visits to states and vulnerable communities on the need to vacate flood plains, clear blocked drainages and silt rivers to prevent anticipated flooding.
Despite all these, many houses have been destroyed and lives lost in the past few weeks due to flooding in some states including Bauchi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Cross River, Lagos, Katsina, Enugu and some others. And predictions are that flooding will become more intense in the next two months.
We note that:
1. It is apparent that many state governments are not paying adequate attention to the warnings and are obviously not making preparations for it.
2. We also note that many states still refuse to either properly set up or adequately equip their emergency management agency.
3. And much as NEMA has so far advocated, scanty local government councils have any semblance of emergency management committees out of the 774 local governments recognised by the Constitution.
4. Victims of 2012 flooding returned to vulnerable areas because they have no financial resources to move to higher and safer grounds.
5. Many state governments still claim to be keeping the grant given to them to manage the 2012 flooding in special accounts while victims continue to suffer.
JADI hereby appeal to states to help poor people living in vulnerable areas to move to safer places by providing them with free access to land and subsidise their new homes in line with international best practices.
We also appeal to the committee set up to raise funds for flood victims by the Federal Government and chaired by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Olisa Agbakoba to immediately provide building materials to victims of 2012 flooding and those currently residing in flood prone areas as incentives to move away from disaster.
We call upon agencies mandated to enforce town planning regulations to become more alive to their responsibilities and prevent further construction in flood prone areas.
NEMA should continue its advocacy visit to states and in addition, lobby to address the National Council of State on the need for state and local authorities to be more proactive about issues concerning emergency management.
. Sanya Adejokun, the National Coordinator of Journalists Against Disaster Initiatives sent in this piece on behalf of JADI.