National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said, yesterday, that N2.6 trillion was lost while about 2.1million people were displaced in the flood disaster that ravaged 23 states of the country last year.
Also, the agency hinted that 363 deaths were recorded out of seven million people generally affected.
The agency made this disclosure in Ibadan at the South-West zonal awareness flood campaign towards early warning and early action for Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, Community based Organisations, CBOs and and Faith based Organisations, FBOs’ levels of preparedness in in the South West states.
Giving further details, the NEMA South-West coordinator, Iyiola Akande added that 5,970 houses were submerged in 256 local government areas affected.
The participants in the programme suggested how to prevent flooding already predicted by Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET.
Mr. Akande said: “The prediction painted a more serious picture of what the nation is to expect this year, 2013 when compared to the devastating effect of the 2012 flood that ravaged about 23 states of the Federation.”
In his reaction, the Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Mr. Lowo Obisesan, noted that if stakeholders made efforts, the flooding would not only be controlled but prevented.
The commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Modupe Omonigbehin said, “if we are all ready to give what it takes, if rivers and streams are allowed to go through their channels without obstruction, we can rest assured that flooding would be prevented.”
The one-day workshop, he added, was a welcome development “as it confirmed the fact that NEMA is proactive towards prevention of flood disaster in the country and this is in line with the thinking of the Oyo State Government.”
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