President Goodluck Jonathan has met the leaders of the National Assembly and governors of states affected by flood as part of the efforts towards providing immediate assistance to victims.

Besides, the meeting on Thursday night also disused the medium and long term measures to be put in place to deal with future occurrence.

The president convened the meeting as a follow up to his Independence Day national broadcast on and it was attended by the leadership of the National Assembly.

Among those who attended the meeting which started at 9.30pm at the First Lady Conference room, presidential villa, Abuja were Vice President Namadi Sambo; Senate President, David Mark; Speaker,  House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwwal; Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba;  Director-General, National Emergency Management Authority,  Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafia; Minister Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe; and Minister of State, Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.

The governors in attendance were  Danbaba Suntai (Taraba); Patrick Yakowa (Kaduna), Ibrahim Dakingari (Kebbi), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarrawa), Idris Wada (Kogi), Gabriel Suswam  (Benue), Theodore Orji (Abia), Peter Obi (Anambra), Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Lyel Imoke (Cross Rivers). Deputy Governors of Bayelsa, Kwara and Plateau States also attended.

The issues were the assessment of the damage done so far, what needs to be done in the short term, the medium term and the long term.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting which lasted about three hours, Governor Uduaghan said the meeting decided that every governor should go back and put in more efforts by providing immediate measures for the displaced people.

"What is required now is the short term measure because it is an emergency. In an emergency situation, you first look at short term solution then you start working on medium and long term plans. But for today, how do we resettle those that were displaced by this flooding that has ravaged a lot states in Nigeria? So the medium and long term will follow later," he said

"You have an emergency situation that people have been living in a place for several years. The first thing you want to do is to relocate them to places where you can give them shelter, water and other basic social needs. That is the immediate need because these people are in millions scattered all over the country. That is what we have come to discuss today."

He also revealed that "Federal Government will continue to also ensure that relief materials get down to the states. It will also by tomorrow (Friday) look into further assistance other than those materials, so that tomorrow, we will hear more from the Federal Government."

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, who also spoke to journalists said House resolution to listen to supplementary budget from the executive arm of government still stand.

He also absolved government of any blaming noting that it "is a natural disaster which is beyond the government or any human being.”

He urged Nigerians to stop blaming government for such disasters since they were not man-made.

He however, assured that the Federal Government would partner with State Governments to address the menace of flood across the country; adding that government has shown that it was responsive with what it has done so far as                                                                               

"Definitely, the Federal Government is going to intervene in collaboration with the states to ensure that the immediate situations are remedied.

"Our resolution that the executive arm of government should send a supplementary budget on the issue is still being discussed.

"Whatever concerns Nigerians should be the concern of a responsible government and this government is responsible and it is responding to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians; that is why we had this high level meeting at this period to consider the issue of flooding and how it has affected our communities.

"These are natural disasters, they are not man-made, and so, you cannot blame government for natural disasters."

On his part, Governor Obi whose state was also highly hit by flood said government was finding it difficult evacuate the people as many were not willing to move.

He also commended Jonathan for initiating the meeting which was meant to find immediate and lasting solutions to the problem of flooding across the country.

"While, this meeting is a preliminary discussion where the minister reported their tour which as everyone can see so far, the report shows that the Anambra situation is the worst.

Mailafia said the situation was a national disaster with traumatising experiences that called for concern.

She said from the committee's assessments, the states in the southern parts of the country were now experiencing high level of the flooding.

Mailafia said the committee also found out that in some cases, it was practically impossible to do anything but evacuate the victims.

She said as part of long terms measures, government would have to consider buffer dams on the long stretch of the Niger, to intermittently break wild tides on the river to avoid further occurrence.