Ibadan: The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has issued a stark warning to residents in flood-prone areas, urging immediate relocation and proactive measures as heavy rainfall looms across parts of Oyo State.
During a high-level stakeholders’ roundtable in Ibadan, Mr Kadiri Olanrewaju, NEMA’s Head of Operations, Southwest Zone Office, Ibadan, gave the warning on Thursday in Ibadan during a stakeholders’ discussion on flood preparedness and response in Oyo state.
Olanrewaju noted that the engagement became necessary following predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) of possible heavy rainfall in some parts of the state.
According to him, the meeting aims to engage with critical stakeholders in disaster management to assess and improve their level of preparation.
“We have experienced a series of flood disasters in Northern Nigeria, Mokwa town in Niger state, and down west to be specific.
“We have been instructed by NEMA head office to organise a roundtable discussion with all stakeholders to identify how we can do it better if it does occur.
“About six local governments, which include Ona-Ara, Lagelu, Surulere and others, have been predicted to experience flooding during expected heavy seasonal rainfall.
“The roundtable session will come up with a resolution on how to mitigate the impact of the flood and forward the decisions to the authority at NEMA headquarters for implementation, “he said.
Mrs Ojuolape Busari, the Administrative Secretary for Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), expressed the state government’s readiness to collaborate with NEMA and other stakeholders on personnel and equipment simulation for effective disaster management.
She revealed that SEMA had invested in grassroots sensitisation on drainage and waterway clearing across local government areas in the state to mitigate flood risks.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Southwest Director of NEMA, Mr Saheed Akiode, noted that the roundtable discussion was a follow-up to previous flood preparedness and response initiatives.
He added that the meeting aimed to assess the progress made by stakeholders in their area of specialisation as disaster managers.
According to him, the meeting will come up with new strategies for effective disaster management, such as community actors’ inclusivity and grassroots responder mobilisation.
“We are leaving no stone unturned, and we are doing everything possible within our reach. We are engaging community leaders, people in authority, local government chairpersons, traditional rulers, and faith-based organisations.
“The move is to ensure that everybody is informed in line with the early warnings, so that we can arrive at early actions to mitigate the impact of the flood,” Akiode stated.
The meeting includes men of the Federal and State Fire services; Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Red Cross and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Others include the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Media, the Nigeria Police Force, local authorities and community representatives.
