The Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF) and the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) have urged the Niger State Government to take full responsibility for the flood disaster which happened in Mokwa Town last Thursday and ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) get all the relief materials necessary to ameliorate their plight.
CFSF and RDI made the call following reports that displaced families in the temporary camp in Mokwa have raised the alarm over the deplorable conditions of the camps provided for them, which they describe as unfit for human habitation.
The makeshift structure is said to lack basic amenities such as clean water, toilets, and medical supplies.
The flood which occurred during a heavy downpour on Thursday May 29, led to the deaths of 159 persons according to official figures and destruction of property worth millions of naira.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, the CFSF and RDI said that the state government’s blaming nature instead of owning up for its lack of preparedness for the avoidable loss of lives and property is unacceptable. They also want the state government to clarify reports that a dam collapse was responsible for the quantum destruction that happened in the town.
The statement read: “Passing the buck is very worrisome. In an ideal situation what we should be hearing is the reprimand of people in authority who failed to act when the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) warned that Niger State is a high risk state in its prediction of rain patterns for 2025.
Executive Director of CFSF, Comrade Sani Baba said: “The magnitude of the disaster in Mokwa is very disturbing and could have been prevented because NIMET had warned, giving the state government enough time to plan. We do not also trust the casualty number the state government is peddling because local sources say it is far higher”
“We are worried because last year when the Alau Dam collapse happened we had anticipated that other states would be proactive but with what happened in Mokwa town it is evident that most states still treat the issue of climate change and preparedness to address it as childs play.”
Executive Director of RDI, Philip Jakpor said:“The Niger State Government cannot be absolved from the fallout of the flood in Mokwa because we suspect there is more to the volume of water that we saw in amateur videos circulating online. Does it involve a dam as some claim or something else?. It is the responsibility of the state government to either substantiate or debunk the reports”
Jakpor also added that it is becoming evident that disaster capitalists are benefiting from the Niger flood disasters that occur every year due to their reactive approach which seems to be centered only around sharing palliatives”
While reports indicate that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and their state counterpart are now distributing relief materials in Mokwa, the two organisations want the agency to be more proactive in its response to disaster by procuring modern equipments including choppers and speed boats that can reach remote communities instead of busying itself with only distribution of palliatives.
