Waiting for another flood in Taraba?

In 2012, Taraba State was one of the states that witnessed devastating floods that wreaked havoc on people, houses, animals and destroyed many farmlands.The federal government intervened by releasing N400 million to the state which was mismanaged by government officials who handled the disbursement of the funds and relief material to victims.As this year’s rainy […]

In 2012, Taraba State was one of the states that witnessed devastating floods that wreaked havoc on people, houses, animals and destroyed many farmlands.
The federal government intervened by releasing N400 million to the state which was mismanaged by government officials who handled the disbursement of the funds and relief material to victims.
As this year’s rainy season is getting to the peak, people living in flood prone areas are now living in a state of apprehension.
In a recent sensitisation workshop organised in Jalingo, Taraba State capital by Gombe Operations Office of NEMA, it identified some vulnerable communities that could experience floods.
According to Mr. Appolos Jediel, NEMA Head of Operation, some of the vulnerable communities identified by NEMA include Lau, Shomo, Garin-Dogo, Kunini, Donadda, Bwai, Ibi, Njibu, Donga, and Takum, which are communities within Taraba North and South zones.
The agency also identified places such as Lankaviri, Bali, Kurmi as areas where internally displaced persons camps can be built to provide succour for victims in event of disaster.
Mutum-Biyu and Wukari were also identified as proposed safer ground for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
According to him, the identification was done based on the 2012 floods experience in Taraba State.
“It is therefore very pertinent for core values of disaster risk reduction in our communities, creating awareness on disaster emergency management and to enlighten the on scene responders in localised emergency,” Jediel said.
Jediel stressed the need for government to collaborate with community leaders and faith-based organisations to implement effective disaster management in localities.
He said the essence of the workshop was to serve as a tool towards making communities resilient to disaster and easily recover from the impact when it occurs.
“To achieve this, we must all embrace the act of studying our vulnerabilities and taking steps to make sure vulnerabilities did not graduate into emergencies thereby resulting in colossal loss of lives, properties and environmental  degradation.”
State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mato Yakubu Dukku, in his presentation said the useful information provided by NEMA should be utilised by the government to strengthen flood risk awareness campaigns among vulnerable communities.
“This workshop is apt and timely as people taken warning issued by relevant agencies with laxity and government at all levels have not been able to double efforts on awareness to prevent high risk of flood disaster,” Dukku said.
The NOA director also said that public awareness would increase the level of consciousness with regards to likely risks and the appropriate actions to take in order to avert disasters.
He stressed that such awareness should include educating the people using the radio, television and newspapers in reaching out to them, adding that traditional and religious leaders should also be involved in the awareness campaign.
“In order to be effective in changing people’s unwilling attitude of leaving flood prone areas  based on ancestral ties, government should strengthen traditional and religious institutions, community based individuals, youth groups capacity to be agents of change in creating awareness and people to heed to warning and adhere to safety measures,” Dukku added.
The director further said that government agencies responsible for disaster management should take proactive steps by visiting flood risk areas to interact with the people and find ways of relocating them instead of waiting to provide relief materials for them after disaster must have hit them.
But government in its usual characteristics would remain docile to such predictions and early warning until disaster strikes when they will then embark on fire brigade approach which oftentimes does not yield desired result.
Although NEMA has held several early warning sensitisation workshops and calls on government to take appropriate action, it seems government is still tardy about taking proactive measures.
While it is  commendable that Taraba State government is currently carrying out work on drainage channels within some parts of Jalingo metropolis to create access for easy flow of water, more however needed to be done at the local government councils where the vulnerability is high.
Even at that, some parts of Jalingo metropolis, such as Mayo Dassa, Mayo-Gwoi, Nukkai, Mile 6, Nyabukaka, TADB amongst others, still need proper drainage channels to control flooding.
Some of the drainages have been blocked with waste materials and this could lead to flooding by the time the heavy rains start falling.
The state ministry of environment also seems not to be doing enough in terms of clearing blocked drainage channels for easy passage of flood waters.
Government should take proactive measures concerning communities living in the identified vulnerable areas and should as well build internally displaced persons’ camps as suggested by NEMA to avoid keeping people in schools and worship places  in event of disaster.
As we wait for the floods, relevant agencies should be  awake to their responsibilities in ensuring that what happened in the state last year does not repeat itself again. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.