Date: 2019-06-11

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised people living in urban areas to evacuate refuse on waterways as well as those in flood prune areas to move to higher grounds.

It also urged them to avoid indiscriminate disposal of refuse in drainages for free flow of water.

Mrs Lydia Wagami, Head NEMA, Minna Operations Office in Charge of Niger and Kwara, gave the advice on Tuesday at a one-day stakeholders consultative meeting on 2019 flood preparedness, mitigation and response in Minna.

Wagami said that the meeting was for stakeholders to discuss the potential threats of flood in the two states and to strategies on how to mitigate flooding in 2019.

She explained that the forum would draw out modalities and itemise the roles and responsibilities with first flood respondent agencies on how to reduce the effects of flood.

"The meeting is our early preparedness based on the prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) on quick to respond to flood and how to mitigate its effect," she said.

Also, Mr Pwajok Tok, state Inspector, NIMET, said the late onset of rain and early predictions by the agency were to allow flood-prone areas take early measures to avert losses.

Prof. Shamsudeen Ojoye, Deputy Director, Center for Disaster Risk Management and Development Agency, Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna urged stakeholders to work together to further reduce the menace of flooding.

Alhaji Aliyu Umaru, District Head of Gurumana in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, urged the state and Federal Government to fast track the compensation process of the people in the area to enable them relocate.

"We are appealing to the Federal Government to as well compensate those living in the upper stream area of Shiroro dam to enable them move away from the waterside," he said.

Other stakeholders in attendance are the state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Fire Service and North-South Power. (NAN)