After floods submerge five communities in Ibaji local government area of Kogi State, the state government has opened 42 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mouktar Atima,who made this disclosure during an advocacy visit to Adams Abdullazeez, commissioner of health, in Lokoja, the state capital, said the situation has forced the government to activate emergency response measures.
According to Atima, the water levels in the Rivers Niger and Benue have continued to rise, warning communities along the banks to immediately relocate to safer grounds.
“258 communities in eight local government areas of the state have been marked as flood-prone areas while 42 IDP camps have been constructed to take care of those to be displaced while an emergency operations centre has been opened.
“Already, five communities in Ibaji local government area were worst hit including Ota, Ofogbo, Itima and Owara community in Kogi local government area of the state,” the state SEMA boss said.
Atima, who said experts and dam managers have warned that excessive water would flow into the Rivers Niger and Benue, which could worsen flooding in the state, praised the health commissioner for proactive measures that ensured zero casualties during last year’s flood disaster.
In his remarks, Abdullazeez said the ministry had already begun fumigation of all IDP camps in preparation for possible disease outbreaks.
“My ministry is aware that there may be outbreak of diseases or epidemic in the various IDP camps and we are fully prepared,” he said, adding that personnel and materials have been mobilised to provide care for victims of the floods.
The commissioner commended Governor Usman Ododo for his commitment to health issues, attributing last year’s zero casualty record to his interventions.
“It was indeed his quick intervention that averted loss of lives in last year’s flood, while many states recorded loss of lives, Kogi recorded additional lives as two women in the IDP gave birth to twins,” Abdullazeez said.
