Over 600, 000 people were displaced by the flood disaster, which ravaged
nine local government areas of the Kogi State. The state’s Commissioner
for Information, Yabaji Bologi, who disclosed this to journalists
yesterday in Lokoja, said according to the latest report released by the
State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) about 344 communities were
completely submerged, while property worth over N2 billion were
destroyed.
He said 50,493 internally displaced persons with no alternative
accommodation arrangements are being housed in 87 camps spread across
the affected local government areas.The commissioner said there has been no
major out-break of epidemics, and that only eight lives were lost to the
flood in the state.
The Commissioner for Environment,
Abdulrahman Wuya, on his part, said that government has put machineries
in motion to clean up all affected areas between now and December.
He said the cleanup is to guide against
outbreak of epidemics, as according to him, the flood came with
hazardous materials. He appealed to those affected by the flood not to
move into their houses yet despite the fact that the water has started
receding.
Meanwhile, Head of the Interim
Management of Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, Aloysius
Okino, has said that four persons from the area are missing following
the flood disaster. Okino, who disclosed this during a visit to the
relief camp at Gadumo area of Ajaokuta Local Government, said all
efforts to trace them either alive or dead have been fruitless.
He added that the missing persons are
from Onakumi Island which was completely submerged by the flood. He said
fishing which is the traditional trade of the people has been disrupted
while rice farms and livestock worth billions of naira have been washed
away.
According to him, the disaster also
affected the education sector as six primary schools in the council have
been shut down indefinitely. He said three of the schools were shut
down to accommodate about 7,000 displaced by the flood while the
remaining three were closed down for the safety of pupils and staff.
