Rita Enemuru, Reporting
RENOWNED Niger Delta environmental rights activist and development advocate, Chief Mulade Sheriff, PhD, has called on governors of the Niger Delta states to take urgent and practical measures to reduce the impact of the impending flooding forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
Mulade, who made the appeal in a statement on Monday, warned that failure to act proactively could expose communities across the region to devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences as the rainy season intensifies.
The National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) expressed concern over what he described as the continued neglect of citizens’ welfare by political leaders, alleging that many public office holders place personal ambitions and political interests above their constitutional duty to protect lives and property.
According to Mulade, recurring floods have continued to inflict severe hardship on residents of the Niger Delta, noting that many victims of the catastrophic 2012 floods and subsequent flood disasters are yet to recover fully from their losses.
The environmental advocate, who is also the Ibe-Sorimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, said the inability of governments at various levels to implement sustainable flood prevention and disaster management measures had left vulnerable communities exposed to repeated environmental disasters.
He warned that without urgent, coordinated intervention before the peak of the rainy season, the region could once again experience widespread destruction of homes, farmlands, public infrastructure and sources of livelihood.
Mulade therefore urged governors in the Niger Delta to work closely with relevant federal agencies, emergency management organisations, local government authorities and community stakeholders to develop and implement effective flood mitigation strategies.
He specifically advocated immediate evacuation plans for flood-prone communities, desilting of waterways and drainage channels, strengthening emergency response mechanisms, provision of relief materials and healthcare services, as well as sustained public awareness campaigns to minimise the anticipated impact of flooding.
He stressed that Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, which have historically borne the brunt of seasonal flooding, should take the lead in implementing preventive measures aimed at safeguarding lives and property.
According to him, proactive planning, effective intergovernmental collaboration and a genuine commitment to the welfare of citizens remain the most effective means of preventing another large-scale flood disaster in the Niger Delta.
Mulade’s appeal comes amid heightened concerns over flood risks following an earlier warning by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, which issued a flash flood alert covering 27 states, cautioning that widespread rainfall during the peak of the rainy season could trigger flooding across affected areas.
