FLOOD DISASTER IN NIGERIA: COMMUNITY MEDIA ADVOCATES FOR RESPONSIVE POLICY MITIGATION
By: People’s Voice Nigeria | News
The recent flood disaster cutting across Kogi, Benue, Anambra and Delta States in Nigeria further shows how various governments particularly federal government have not been proactive to disasters.
The Association of Community Media Practitioners in Nigeria (APCOM), through its National President, Abayomi Adejumo, has frowned on disasters ravaging different communities in the affected states in Nigeria. In his press statement, he e-signed and released it to the association members and press men. Adejumo said; Despite the red flag raised by the Cameroonian government before emptying their dam, that finally led to the disaster ravaging different communities in the affected states in Nigeria. It is also unfortunate that the Federal Government still sees a disaster of this magnitude as natural rather than man-made.
A disaster that has been announced or which is recurring is not natural but rather humanly instigated, as it is with the recent flood in Nigeria. The quantum of loss, particularly human lives, is obviously avoidable if the Federal and State governments had put in place collaboratively inspired Flood Mitigation Policies, Actions, and Programs (FMPAP). The huge flood ought to be a blessing and not a curse, as we have seen in the various reports about the flood. The huge flood would have been an immediate irrigation support for agricultural purposes in the affected communities. This would have added a huge amount of value to our agricultural prospects, especially with the present food shortages in the country.
Our association is proposing Communities Driven Flood Mitigation Policies, Actions, and Programs (FMPAP) towards arresting or stopping further disasters that are likely to happen, with more floods that are waiting to flow. We want to encourage the Federal Government, affected States’ governments and representatives of affected communities to have discussions on workable flood mitigating models.
As community media practitioners, we are currently collating reports on collateral damage caused by the unprecedented flood in recent times. We would make this information available to the appropriate agencies of state and federal governments. Let’s stop the blame game and take quality action.
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