The Senate has urged the Federal Government, through its agencies, to take urgent steps to rescue and ameliorate the sufferings of inhabitants of communities being ravaged by recent flood menace in Abia North Senatorial District of Abia State.
The apex legislative Assembly made the call following the motion moved by a former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on “urgent need for the Federal Government to make emergency provisions for victims of flooding in some communities in Abia North Senatorial District of Abia State.”
Accordingly, the Senate called on the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Alleviation and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to urgently make emergency provision available to cushion the effects on victims of the affected communities in Abia North Senatorial District.
The Senate also, urged the Ecological Fund Department of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management to urgently assess the extent of damages on erosion sites of the areas with a view to providing some measures of rebuilding the damaged environment created by this ugly incidence.
Moreover, it urged the Federal Ministries of Housing and Urban Development and Power, to rehabilitate some of the collapsed homes, roads and electric installations within the affected areas.
Furthermore, the Upper Chamber mandated the Committees on Legislative Compliance and Environment, to ensure compliance and report back to the Senate within four weeks.
The lawmakers also observed a minute silence in honor of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate flooding incident in Abia North Senatorial District.
Leading debate on the motion, Senator Kalu, who was the Senate Chief Whip in the Ninth Assembly, told his colleagues that the recent downpour in some communities of Abia North Senatorial District of Abia State, caused severe damages to the affected communities.
He lamented that the ugly occurrence which a came with lightning and thunder was so severe and devastating that some lives were lost in the flood, connecting roads, completely cut off, making movement between communities impossible, farmlands were washed away and destroyed with attendant losses of crops and livestock amounting to several millions of Naira.
The politician also related that some houses lost their roofs while others with weak foundations collapsed and occupants displaced alongside with their helpless families, noting that the worst hit were Okoko-Item Primary School, Okposi Primary School, a radio station, a university structure and many other houses in Bende LGA.
He stated that socio-economic activities had been brought to a near halt as a result of this natural disaster in communities like Igbere, Item, Eziukwu Road, which was divided into two parts, Eze River, Nkporo Umuhu, Abriba, Okonu, Abam lhechiowa and other adjoining communities all in Bende, Ohafia and Arochukwu Local Government Areas.
The lawmaker expressed concern that the devastation caused by the flooding linked to climate change had left the affected citizens of the District in pitiable situation.
Kalu said that with the destruction of certain infrastructures, the affected residents majority of whom were rural dwellers, artisans and farmers were presently faced with existence without basic necessities of life.
He posited that, if no emergency response was provided for the victims, the dislocated society would be worse for it, and regrettable number of casualties might be recorded.
After his presentation, all the Senators who contributed to the motion, supported all the prayers, and the the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, put the prayers to vote, and they were all approved.
