The Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible records of how God used floods to destroy the world, save for Noah, his family, and other species of animals. The onset of rainy season is supposed to herald hope for bountiful harvests for farmers, but with floods causing loss of lives and property in different parts of the country, especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), PAUL OKAH wonders whether or not the days of Noah are here again.
“I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish,” is what the Bible records in Genesis 6:17 as what God told Noah, while the entire Genesis 6:9 – 9:17 is devoted to the story of Noah, his family, covenant with God and how God used flood to destroy the earth.
However, away from the Bible, recent flooding across the country, especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the resultant loss of lives and property, makes one to wonder whether or not God is planning to replicate what happened in the days of Noah – starting with Nigeria.
Over the years, every rainy season in Nigeria records natural disasters, especially flooding, in different parts of the country, which have led to death of many Nigerians on daily basis, loss of unquantifiable properties and cash crops, while many flood incidents are not even reported in the media.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) had in its 2019 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction revealed that some cities including the FCT would be hit by floods this year, but the rate at which lives and property are being lost to floods appears to be getting out of hand.
Flooded buildings, trapped residents
On Monday, August 19, this year, Apostle Johnson Suleiman’s church, Omega Fire Ministry, was among many buildings that were flooded following a downpour that lasted for hours, between Sunday and Monday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), at least 10 houses, farmlands, shops, others were destroyed by floods in Gudaba community of Kuje area of the FCT. The flood also affected a bridge linking Kuje – Gwagwalada road, forcing residents to stay indoors or wade through the water.
Zaka Tukura, whose house collapsed, said: “I was asleep when the water flooded my house. I had to quickly move my children to a neighbour’s house. The level of destruction is devastating; it is quite unfortunate that the flood has affected many people in this community.”
Another resident, Sarah Musa, said, “We could not sleep throughout because of the downpour. When the rain persisted, we knew we were in danger and started removing our property from the building even when we were not sure which area could be safe.”
She said her family members succeeded in moving some important household items before the house collapsed.
The head, department of works, Kuje area council, Mrs. Machbery Modupe, said, “We are already assessing the situation to ascertain the number of houses affected by the floods; the aim is to see how the victims can be supported.”
Six killed, 600 displaced
On Wednesday, August 21, this year, Blueprint Weekend reported that no fewer than six people were killed and over 600 others displaced while several houses were submerged by floods, after several hours of heavy downpour in different areas of Jigawa state Tuesday night.
The displaced people, who are currently taking refuge in schools and relatives’ houses, were visited by the Jigawa state deputy governor, Umar Namadi, in their locations including Birninkudu local government area.
The executive secretary of the Jigawa state Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Sani Yusuf, who confirmed this to reporters, said Kirikasamma, Kafin Hausa, Guri, and Birninkudu local government areas were among the seriously affected.
According to him, a pregnant woman named Halima Manu and two of her children, four-year-old Aisha Manu and two-year-old Dauda Manu were killed after their mud houses collapsed on them.
Yusuf further stated that a couple in Madici village of Kirikasamma local governments were also killed.
Similarly, in Gwaza village of Birninkudu local government, a bridge collapsed and many houses were destroyed by the flood, while many residents are presently taking shelter in the neigbourhood.
However, the deputy governor has promised the state government’s intervention to cushion the effects of the disaster.
Director, 5 others die in Abuja, Yola
On Friday, August 02, this year, the director of finance, Federal Capital Territory High Court, Mr. Tony Okecheme, was feared dead after floods swept him away in the aftermath of a downpour in Abuja, while a similar flood claimed five children living in communities around old Yola town in Adamawa state.
Okecheme and his driver were heading for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in his official car when they ran into the raging floods and mud at Galadimawa Roundabout, Abuja.
While the driver managed to escape, his boss was unlucky as, after about one hour fighting for his life, Okecheme could no longer cope with the power of the massive water and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who had rushed to the scene, could not save him.
In a reaction, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Dr Muhammed Suleiman, said he was yet to conclude the assessment of the damage by the flood when contacted by reporters.
He, however, said between four and five children might have drowned or been swept away in Jambutu and Wurojabe in Yola North local government area and in Yolde Pate in Yola South local government area.
“I wish you can just wait till my team returns from the assessment tour they have embarked on, because I can’t be specific now,” he said, and promised to speak later in the day after he would have been properly briefed.
The Yola North transition committee chairman, Adamu Wakili, who addressed journalists in his office after an assessment visit to affected communities in the LGA, described the incidence of rain and the flood as “unprecedented.”
“We have never experienced this one to two hours of intensive rain and heavy flooding before. Many were rendered homeless. We have just seen a tailor shop where three sewing machines were swept away,” he said.
He put the number of the dead at three which occurred, according to him, at Jambutu and Wurojabe. Many families and business owners were displaced following the rain, which caused gutters to overflow into homes and business places mostly in Jimeta area of the Adamawa state capital.
The rain had poured heavily the previous evening, flooding households in much of Jimeta and Yola town with most streets in Jambutu, Bachure, Wurojabe, Kofare, and some other communities becoming rivers of rain swept water and causing massive traffic holdup.
Farmers affected
Apart of killing inhabitants or sacking others from their homes, floods have also affected farming leading to fears that Nigerians may experience famine if urgent interventions are not taken.
On Tuesday, August 20, this year, Blueprint Weekend reported that several hectares of farmland were said to have been destroyed as a result of torrential rainfall as well as overflow of River Hadejia experienced in Kaugama, and Miga local government areas of Jigawa state, while that of Guri was caused by the excess volume of Hedia River which passes across the area.
The disaster occurred as result of heavy and nonstop rainfall, which lasted for over 48 hours, washing away thousands of farm products in Kaugama and Miga, while overflow of River Hadejia caused the flood that washed away cash and food crops worth millions of naira across the three affected local government areas.
It was gathered that the flood also rendered hundreds of people homeless, though no live was reportedly lost as the rampaging water forced farmers to abandon their houses for fear of being invaded by the flood.
When contacted on phone, the executive secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Yusuf Sani Babra, confirmed that the incident occurred following a two-day downpour in the affected local governments areas.
He, however, debunked media reports that 12,000 hectares of land were destroyed by the floods, saying, “The figure was not official because, we are yet to commence assessment of damages done to crops. We are busy erecting embankment at Guri presently, to prevent the running water from over flooding other areas of the local government.”
The executive secretary further said they had camped about 100 households from Miga at primary schools and other government buildings, while other victims are taking shelters with relations, friends and good Samaritans.
He said the agency had supplied the victims with blankets, buckets, mosquito nets, rubber mats and foodstuff with a view to cushioning the effects of the disaster, stressing that no single life was lost.
Also, when contacted on phone, the member representing Kaugama constituency
in the House of Assembly, Nake Abubakar Y’anlleman, said he was aware of the calamity, adding that he had visited the areas and sympathised with the victims.
He said he moved a motion during plenary for government to provide a lasting solution to annual flooding ravaging some areas of Jigawa state, urging victims to be patient as the state government would soon come to their aid.
Area council urges intervention
On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, the chairman of Bwari area council, Mr John Gabaya, appealed to the federal government to intervene in communities affected by erosion and flood in the district.
Gabaya made the appeal while addressing newsmen after visiting some of the affected communities on Tuesday in Abuja. He described the incidence as “unfortunate and critical,” while calling on the federal government and the FCTA to come to the rescue of the residents.
He listed the affected areas as Mashafa, Gudupe, Bamboyi, Dankubo, villages, which he said were all connected to the same access road that have become inaccessible at the moment, while, at Dutse-Baupuma area of the district, three bridges linking residents to the township collapsed following the recent heavy downpour.
“We need federal government’s assistance because the council, 10 years from now, cannot solve this problem. The erosion has caused a serious havoc and this was as a result of the recent heavy rainfall. Thank God, there are no casualties, but some houses have so far been slightly affected.
“I must say, the ecological challenge in this council is numerous and so many villages are faced with this problem. Once it rains, the rivers and streams overflow and people are automatically cut off from accessing the roads that leads to their businesses or children to their schools.”
Some of the residents who spoke to reporters also called for government’s urgent attention to address the ecological challenge in the communities.
Mr. Nwokike Obinna, of the Obasanjo road, Sagbayi II community, said the major bridge connecting the community to the township had collapsed following Monday’s downpour.
“We woke up to see the bridge we have been managing to have finally collapsed. People have not been able to go to work or anywhere else because of the unfortunate incident. We thank God there has not been any loss of life but we appeal to government to urgently come to our aid because this is not what the community can shoulder, we need the government with this.
“Even though we have alerted the area council and the chairman has visited and promised to do something but our fear is we do not know how soon it may be.”
Mr Zachariah George, a resident of Freedom Avenue, Sagbayi III in Dutsen Alhaji, said residents have decided to contribute to buy wood to create a temporary passage so that residents can move.
“No one has been able to go anywhere since this happened. We cannot even go to the market to buy food to eat, so we needed to tax ourselves so that we can buy wood to create a temporary bridge for now. We have even collected some of the wood on credit before we gather the money from other residents,” he said.
FCTA intervenes
On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, the FCTA distributed inputs, including maize and beans seedlings, cashew, orange and palm trees, chicks, feeds and agro-inputs to farmers in Bwari area council, who were affected by erosion and flood in the council.
The permanent secretary of the administration, Sir Christian Ohaa, made the distribution during the administration’s campaign against erosion in the district.
Ohaa, who was represented by the director, agriculture services of the FCTA, Dr. Nkem Akanegbu, said the inputs were to be distributed to farmers affected by erosion and flood to support to them and ensure they were back to business.
He said the programme, which was initiated by the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Musa Bello, sought to address erosion and flooding challenges in communities within the territory.
Ohaa advised farmers to obey instructions given by the extension workers, and cautioned them against selling or eating some of the inputs, explaining that this was because the maize and beans seedlings were not edible and had been mixed with chemicals.
He said, “Bwari is well-known for its farming activities within the FCT, especially with yam production. Unfortunately, many of these farmers plant on flood prone areas and along erosion lines which are not good for production and must be avoided. This administration has therefore taken it upon itself to help address this situation by sensitising the farmers on prevention, control and management of their farmlands against the disaster.
“Our extension service workers have been trained and will come to address all farmers in the district on how to go about this; so, we plead your indulgence. Affected farmers have already been identified by the council’s extension service workers and will continue with the distribution of the inputs to the farmers in the villages after the flag-off today.”
The chairman of Bwari area council, Mr. John Gabaya, thanked the administration for the gesture, adding that it was a laudable effort of government to plan for the needs of the rural people. He said that the effort would not be forgotten by the people since it was first of its kind in the district.
Gabaya also called on the farmers to abide by the instructions given and ensure they gave the extension service workers all the support needed to make progress.
One of the farmers, Mr. Galadima Salisu, the Sarkin Noma Kawu, who spoke on behalf of the farmers, expressed appreciation to government for the effort, saying that the supply would go a long way to address some of the challenges of farmers in the district.
