By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
DELTA State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has sympathized with victims of flood which is currently ravaging some parts of the country.
This is just as the frontline environmentalist has proffered solutions to avert a recurrence.
Stonix News reports that no fewer than 600 people have died, more than 1.3 million people displaced and billions of Naira-worth property lost to the disaster which has affected people across 33 of the 36 states of the federation.
Onuesoke, who is also the country Director of Climate Change & Logistics, while speaking on the sideline during a one-day flood awareness and IDP management workshop held in Abuja recently, lamented that the current flooding could have been avoided if the Nigerian government, the international community and individuals have taken responsibility.
He, however, pointed out that some measures, which include construction of dams, wing dykes, diversion spillways, afforestation and artificial levee could be adopted to prevent or combat further dangerous floodings in future.
He explained that the release of water from the Lagdo Dam by Cameroon, which has become the source of unimaginable destruction in Nigeria, would have been averted or rather managed through the construction of its own dam rather than seeking to control its operations from Nigeria.
Chief Onuesoke appealed to government to build new dams and desilt major rivers to check further floodings, especially when neighbouring countries opened their dams.
The former PDP governorhip aspirant also pointed out that besides being highly effective at reducing the risk of floodings, dams could equally be used to generate hydroelectric power that can bring economic benefits to their surroundings and attract manufacturing factories or being exported to other countries.
He added that the reservoir that develops behind a dam can be used as a drinking source, irrigation or for leisure activities.
While rallying supports for victims of the flood, Onuesoke stated that “aside the current pain, suffering and losses being witnessed due to flooding, the consequences may spiral over the next one or two years in form of food shortage due to farmland being washed away, diseases, power outage and other damming consequences.
“Therefore, the international community, especially the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) must swing into action and mobilize other partner agencies to come to the aid of displaced persons in this time of emergency.”
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