By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Residence of Lokoja metropolis, especially those residing along river bank are now gripped with fear as a result of the persistent increase of water level that led to flooding of major areas in the state.
It would be recalled that Kogi State is one of the States forecasted for red alert flooding by NIMET this rainy season and the Agency had severally warned through State Emergency management Agency (SEMA) for residents along river bank to relocate to high level areas.
Some Landlords that are residing in flood prone areas have since began to relocate as a result of the warning while some have hardened their hearts envisaging that the flood might not reach their compounds.
At Adankolo new layout, a landlord, Elder Jacob Makolo told ‘Daybreak’ correspondent that ” It’s unfortunate that some of us did not have good forsight to stop building in where we have found ourselves today, with this yearly routine of flooding, some of us have no option than to cry loud to the government to come to our rescue”.
Mr. Makolo said, “Actually as at the time I acquired this land, shortly after the creation of the State, nobody knew that this is a flood prone area. Presently, the economy of the state is bad and I cannot commence erecting another structure for my family now”.
Makolo and family has abandoned the building and relocated to a new high level site for safety and vowed not to resurface at the Adankolo residence again.
Even when some flood prone houses that were marked for demolition by State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) after the 2012 disastrous floods, some are still having this bad experience on yearly routine in the state because of none optional shelters.
It was gathered that many affected landlords were not lucky enough to relocate to the ‘flood victims quarters’ and could not afford new structure for their families.
A landlord whose compound is equally affected by the floods
along Lokoja – Ganaja village who simply gave his name as mr. Noah Ekele said that their first experience of flood disaster was in 2012 and it was a bitter experience.
Ekele said “Since we packed to this our house in 2002, we never experienced this type of situation that we have been going through since 2012. And since I have been stripped naked by this natural disaster and screened out of civil service job, I have no option than to plan and relocate to my father’s land”.
He told our correspondent that all efforts to acquire the government’s “flood victims’ quarters” failed as the number of the affected people were more than the apartments.
A rice farmer, Mrs. Eli Ekele told our correspondent that she committed a lot of resources on the farm with high yielding expectations before her hope was recently dashed by the floods.
“It’s unfortunate that this year’s rain has been scanty which did not give room for the high yield expectations of rice farmers in the state. And the little yield which we farmers would have harvested did not mature enough before the ravaging flood finally submerged our farmlands in the state.”
According to our Correspondent that went round Lokoja, Kogi State capital observed that many that are residing in the flood prone areas have started relocating and evacuating their belongings from the affected buildings.
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