Flood worsens Nigeria’s economic woes, ravages farmlands, communities

By ADEBAYO OBAJEMU

It is as if floods have decided to vent its spleen on communities in the country with enormous fury, especially communities in the northern part of the country.

This watery fury seems to be a global one given footages of destruction wrought by floods across many parts of the globe from southeast Asia to North America, from Europe to Africa.

Flood, occasioned by heavy rain, has displaced more than 320 families across communities in Adamawa, Bauchi and Jigawa states.

The Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, on Saturday, August 14, said 200 households were displaced in Cheledi, headquarters of Kirfi Local Government Area of the state as a result of flood that ravaged the area.

Governor Mohammed, who spoke when he paid a sympathy visit to the area, urged the people to take it as an act of Allah, expressing joy that no life was lost in the disaster, apart from properties.

He assured that he would contact President Muhammadu Buhari to see the area of urgent intervention before the main relief would come, saying that the disaster was devastating considering the level of destruction of houses and other properties.

Similarly, over 120 households were sacked at the Unguwar Tsallake area of Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State, while about 66 houses and 150 farmlands were also destroyed in Lababiri village, Bakta district in Shelleng Local Government Area in Adamawa State.

Meanwhile, Governor Mai Mala-Buni of Yobe has directed the immediate relocation of downstream communities to safer grounds to avert perennial flooding occasioned by the rainfall.

Only last week, many communities in Bauchi, Adamawa, Rivers and other areas were thrown into distress and mourning as a result of severe flooding of farmlands and settlements.

13 people were confirmed dead, with several others injured as floods ravaged parts of Bauchi State.

The state Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) in a statement last Friday, announced that five bodies were discovered in Jama’are and Darazo Local Government Areas of the state on Thursday following the discovery of eight bodies in other parts of the state during the week.

According to an official of the BSEMA. four bodies were recovered in Jama’are LGA, while the remaining one was found in Darazo LGA, bringing the total death recorded so far this year to 13, with 24 persons sustaining varying degree of injuries in floodings recorded in 18 local government areas of the state.

“Out of the 13 deaths recorded, five were from Jama’are LGA, three each in Gamawa and Toro LGAs, while Toro and Darazo LGAs had one death each,” the official said.

The BSEMA Coordinator, Dr Abubakar Umar Gabarin, who also confirmed the incident, said there were new deaths from flooding in the state, but was silent on the number.

According to him, 2, 000 people were affected by floodings in which property worth N9.3m were affected, adding that a total of 1,600 houses were destroyed and over 5, 000 farmlands washed away.

He revealed that those who lost their lives to floods had been buried after due process was followed.

When the heavens paved way for a downpour on Osun state on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, little did the residents; especially those of Osogbo, Erin-Osun, Ilobu knew that it would be a rain of terror.

Unlike previous floods in the state that came with a warning from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, the almost 8 hours downpour came like a thief in the night, and by daybreak, it left tales of sorrow, tears and blood.

Osogbo, the state capital was the most affected as several communities were left with the scar.

Some of the most affected areas include; Ibu-Amo, Oke-Arungbo, Oke-Ayepe, Powerline, Gbonmi, Oke-Baale, Obalende, Obate, Oke-Oniti Alekuwodo and Oke Awesin in Erin-Osun as Opopo stream, Osun River and Awesin stream overflood its boundaries.

Before the unfortunate incident, residents complained of insufficient rainfall, as the weather was majorly cold but without a drop of water for weeks.

So business owners around Oke-Fia, Alekuwodo, Old-Garage did not envisage such a downpour, hence, those selling food items did not bother moving their goods to the main shops.

A majority of the market men and women left their wares in the makeshift lock-up shops inside the market.

The eight hours downpour swept “barriers” on its way as Rivers and streams could not accommodate all the water from the sky.

Although the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps in the state confirmed the death of two persons, media reports suggested that over five persons were missing after the downpour.

Three commercial motorcyclists at different locations, Oke-Oniti, Garage and Ilesa areas were said to have been swept away with their passengers.

According to a resident at Oke-Oniti, Tunde Aremu, the motorcyclist defied warning, drove through the flood and was swept into the stream by the water current.

His motorcycle was recovered the following day but his body was yet to be recovered.

Also, the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Adigun Daniel confirmed the death of the unknown woman at Ijetu stream.

“Daniel said: “A yet to be identified corpse was recovered last, Wednesday inside the stream and the body deposited at the hospital morgue. No one has claimed the body yet.”

Also, the Ilurin of Erin-Osun, Chief Olawuyi Adeleke, confirmed that an elderly man, who was returning home, before fell into Awesin river because it overflooded and was difficult to identify its boundary.

The Government House perimetre fence at Oke-Fia, for the first time in decades, was pulled down by the ravaging flood.
About 25 metres stretch of the fence caved in to the flood.

Besides, business owners counted their losses in hundreds of millions as food items sellers at Alekuwodo, cloth sellers at Old Garage sought the state government’s aid to salvage their means of livelihood.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in the company of some of his aides went for an on the spot assessment of damages done by the flood in the state capital and assured residents that the government was working hard to forestall future occurrence of the ugly incident.

He added that efforts had been put in place to ensure safety against natural disasters and urged residents to stop indiscriminate refuse disposal in the State as it was established that many of the incidents were caused by drainage and waterways blockage.

“I went round to see things for myself and I’ve seen that the damage was much. We have seen areas requiring interventions like dredging activities. This, we will attend to with immediate effect.

“I sympathize with the residents of the various communities troubled by the flood. The rain was indeed torrential, and that informed our tour around the capital city to assess the impact.

“I sincerely sympathise with our people who have lost property to the flood. It was unfortunate, especially as it didn’t spare any quarter.

“From our observation, some of the waterways had blockages due to indiscriminate waste disposal by residents. In some cases, some people have mounted structures (either residential or business) on water passages. “What we must realise is that water will always find a path for itself. Water can never be hindered, hence the need to always accord it its right of passage.

“What we are concerned about is the safety of our citizens. At this stage, we are not so much bothered about the location of the incident, whether it is a state road or federal road. What matters to us is the safety of the lives and property of our citizens,” Oyetola said.

The fury of flooding came to Lagos two weeks ago, when many parts of Lagos Island such as Ajah,Lekki and Victoria Island were flooded, affecting vehicular movements and businesses, though no life was lost to the floods.

Northern part of the country has always been hardest hit by floods. Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe , Kogi and Kaduna have always felt the pinch of flooding.

Recall that in 2020,flash floods from River Niger submerged over 70 communities and displaced over 50,000 people from their houses in different parts of Kogi State.

Residents of some of the communities who spoke with Business Hallmark said that the communities had not experienced massive flooding this year, compared to 2020.

A resident, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who is also the Desk Officer in charge of ecological and emergency matters in Kogi Local Government Council, said that 66 communities were submerged by flood in the area last year.

Abdullahi said that over 50,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes and were then accommodated in schools, filling stations and other makeshift buildings.

He said that the victims had lost their means of livelihood as their farms and livestock were also washed away by the rampaging floods.