Flooding: Ibaji LG under water; communities, farmlands, IDP camp, submerged »

By Akadiri Ademola Emmanuel

The 2022 flooding situation being witnessed in Kogi and other states in the country could be best described as yet another effect of the Global climate change, which oftentimes ultimately leaves humans at the mercy of its ravaging impact for tampering with the cause of nature over the years.

The natural disaster which has since become an annual occurrence in Kogi state since the 2012 event has consistently caused several citizens of Kogi loss of properties, sources of income, farmlands, hunger, starvation and health hazards while in other extreme cases life losses were documented.

Governor Yahaya Bello in his 62nd independence day celebration address revealed that all the nine local government area existing along Rivers Niger and Benue have witnessed varying degrees of flooding while other areas had recorded mild impact of the flood.

Governor Bello who in his address appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to declare of state of National disaster over the flooding in Kogi state so as to galvanise manpower and financial resources to help aide those that have been affected similarly pointed out that the peculiar case of Ibaji Local Government which was entirely taken over by flood needed urgent attention, response and interventions.
Ibaji Local Government Area, located at the riverine area of Kogi East senatorial District annually have bitter tales to tell resulting from a relatively higher degree of effects of the flood, but without mincing word the most explicit vocabulary to describe this year’s effect in the local government would be “devastating” and “terrific”.

The entire Local Government Area and it’s over 160 communities have been submerged in water and according to the Local Government Chairman Hon. William ikoojo, all the Internally Displaced Person’s camp have also been invaded by the flood leading to huge and catastrophic humanitarian, health care and welfare concerns.

Communities including: Ayah, Ogbojibo, itoduma, odomomo, Agboojo, maajiga, onugua, Akwuro, Atiko, iramawa, ogaine, okpu and a host of others could only be reached through the overflown water and few community members were seen recovering some of their properties from water. Many who do not have alternatives have remained in their abode hoping that the water would recede sooner.

Onyedega the Local Government headquarters was not spared from the rage of the natural disaster and even prominent places like the Local Government Secretariat, School buildings, health care centre were seriously affected.

Renowned for their exploits in farming, particularly yam and Rice cultivation, hectares of farmland have been covered with water causing damage to the crops while few resilient individuals were seen salvaging what was left of some of their farm produce and trying to convey them to very scarce dry lands.

Although the State government was making tangible efforts to help succour the victims of this year’s flooding across the affected areas and in fact the governor during the same state broadcast on 1st of October promised victims that the government was with them in such a trying time and his administration would do it’s best within the available financial means to ease their painful experiences.

Nevertheless, the state government has not shy away from also calling on international organizations, highly spirited Nigerians, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), donor Agencies to join hands in complementing it’s already commenced program targeted at reaching out to those that being greatly affected by this year’s flood.

While Kogi state government under the leadership of Governor Bello was seeking ways to put a permanent end to the yearly plight facing the people of these areas by remedying the cause of nature through a well planed initiative, the current agitation would be Federal Government’s response in such a precarious situation facing Kogi and some other affected states.

Ademola Emmanuel Akadiri writes from Lokoja – 08103376261