As part of Federal Government’s commitment to the ongoing intervention and support to Benue State after the flood disaster, the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril has led a delegation to the state assess areas where more 100,000 thousands residents were affected by flood.
Speaking with the Governor Samuel Ortom on arrival, the Minister commiserated with the people and government of Benue State and reiterated the need to collectively address climate change and call for deeper care of the environment, which has a very lasting impact toward the mitigation of such disasters like floods. Climate change has resulted in heavy rainfall and rising sea levels globally and leaving in it wake global and local consequences of flooding in Bangladesh, Mudslides in Sierra Leone and Hurricane Harvey in the USA and flooding across Benue, which affected many people and destroyed properties
During the assessment tour of the flooded areas and some camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state with the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Engineer Benson Abounu, The Minister expressed concerns over the level of devastation where the most vulnerable continue to bear the brunt in terms of loss of livelihood and shelter. He appealed to the donor and International community to assist the state government tackle the disaster
The Minister has joined the State Government to appeal to residents to stop building structures on waterways and which has blocked water channels. “It is not easy for the state government to demolish such buildings but we hope that the people will collaborate with the relevant government agencies to address the issue,” he said. He reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to assist the state to overcome the disaster.
By Ijeoma Nwachukwu
