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The flood in Kogi State has been extreme
By Anthony Maliki
The candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), for Kogi West senatorial district of Kogi State, Mr. Abdulgafar Dirisu, has called for more federal government intervention to cushion the effect of flood in the area.
In a statement on Monday, the senatorial candidate said Kogi West is of the hardest hit by flood this season with 10 deaths across two local government areas alone.
He gave the names of the local government areas to include Lokoja and Kotonkarfe, noting that over million persons were displaced in the two councils so far.
He said greater part of Lokoja, the state capital and half of Kotonkarfe, local government area were completely submerged.
According to him, the areas most affected in Lokoja town include New market, Old market, Galili, Adankolo new layout, Sarki Noma, Ganaja, Kabawa, 500 units and Gadumo.
Mr. Dirisu who donated relief materials to victims in the two affected local government areas, called on the federal government for more interventions in the areas of relief materials and medicaments to ameliorate the suffering by the victims.
He attributed the unfortunate incident to lack of commitment and political will on the part of the government to tackle life threatening issues that affects not only the people of the state but make life hard for the nation at large.
He noted that dredging of the Niger and other rivers, building of dams along flood plains, opening more water channels and reservoirs, resettlement of residence in disaster/flood prone areas and other natural disasters like earthquakes and erosions will help prevent this disaster in the future.
“For over three weeks running, thousands of travellers and residents of Lokoja, Kogi State capital have experienced severe hardship due to heavy flooding.
“Lokoja-Abuja road which connects the North and South was practically cut off, thereby paralyzing economic activities, including food supply chain from the North to the South, and other economic activities,” he explained.
He called on the people to vote against candidates who don’t have their overall interest, noting that the 2023 elections is a referendum against evil leaders, while vowing to make a difference when elected as senator to represent the good people of Kogi West.
He commiserated with the victims of the disaster, while also consoling with those who lost loved ones in the disaster.
Items donated by the candidate include noodles, spaghetti, millets, maize, milk, blankets, drinking water and other essentials.
