President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his sympathy to families and other victims of floods following continuing heavy rainfall over the last weeks which has affected thousands of people in 32 states of the country. This has resulted in the loss of homes, farms, life and the disruption of normal life. The President, who resumed normal activity on Wednesday after a five-day quarantine following international travel expressed concern over the situation as it unfolds, saying “I am constantly monitoring the situation and we will ensure that all possible help is extended to victims.” President Buhari however called for better coordination between the Federal authorities including the National Emergency Management Authority and state governments to develop a culture of respect for weather forecasts, and to act upon early warnings to avert the yearly occurrence of disasters. The President took notice of the fact that some states took the notices shared at different times of flood warnings, citing specific territories and communities named by NEMA but which sadly were not only unheeded but the letters remain unacknowledged until this day.
He however commended the few states that activated their response mechanisms following the warnings and did well thereby to avert the consequent unnecessary damage and losses. In order to carry all the states along in the administration’s determination to put an enduring system for forecasting of floods and other natural disasters through the use of technology and improved coordination, the President has approved the convention of workshop by NEMA in the coming weeks that will bring all states’ emergency response agencies to the table. Having taken stock of the situation throughout the country, the President has also given assurances that all possible support will be extended to the victims in line with shared responsibility between the two tiers of government.
