Flooding: What Gombe SEMA is doing after NiMet warning
….Balanga, Nafada and Yalmatu Deba flood prone
…. mobilises support for clearing of drainages
No fewer than three Local Government Areas in Gombe have been placed on red alert by the Nigerian Metrological Agency namely; Balanga, Nafada and Yalmatu Deba.
The Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Gombe State Emergency Management Agency Mohammed Garba, said following the warnings received from relevant agencies, it has conducted sensitisation visits to the three LGAs.
Garba made this disclosure to one of our correspondents in an interview, adding that traditional and religious institutions were involved to ensure the warning was taken seriously.
He said, “After receiving the alert, the State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, directed that we commence sensitisation particularly in the three Local Government Areas namely;Balanga, Nafada, and Yalmatu Deba. On the day we went to Nafada the (Caretaker) chairman assured us that by the following they will mobilise and clear all their drainages.
“The same is applicable for all the two others they assured us that they will remove illegal structures along waterways. When we sent people to check we heard they have kept to their words. Right now we are planning to have another sensitisation session on state-owned radio station, we are putting finishing touches to our plan.
When asked what the Agency would do to those in flood prone areas Garba said they were in the stage of plea, stressing that acceptance is high.
“Ofcourse yes, particularly in Funakaye there is one area where people have built houses on waterway as you enter Bajoga it known as sharamansur. The governor has directed the Local Government to look for a suitable place upwards so that the people can move pending the time when they will be able to build houses in the new places.
“For now people are now waiting for the Local Government Council to show them where they will move to. We are still pleading, we are using traditional rulers, wards heads, village, and district heads, we have not reach the stage for punitive measure,” Garba said.
Sharamansur, Bajoga, Funakaye Local Government Area in 2022 caused untold hardships as houses, farmlands were flooded.
