Friday, October 12, 2012

Counting transport losses as flood ravages more Nigerian states

John Iwori in AllAfrica.com via This Day (Nigeria): That the flood that has ravaged many communities across the country has caused enormous loss to Nigerians is an understatement. In fact, the direct and indirect loss arising from the flood is so enormous that it is virtually impossible to calculate it in naira and kobo.

Houses and other properties, farmlands, food and cash crops have been ravaged by the flood. Besides, many peoples' means of livelihood has been destroyed or hampered by the ravaging flood. Thousands of people, if not millions, have been displaced.

Experts said the flood was caused by a disruption in the ecosystem popularly called "climate change" and the opening of the dams in the Republic of Cameroun a few weeks ago. This made River Niger to overflow its banks.

In Kogi State alone, over 600,000, according to the state government, have been displaced. No fewer than 400,000 persons have been displaced by the flood in Delta State. Indeed, yet-to-be estimated residents of several communities across the country have been rendered homeless as a result of the flood.

Nevertheless, transporters are among those that have been worst hit by the flood. This is due to the fact that many highways, particularly inter-state roads have been submerged by the flood.

...As if this is not enough, more floods are expected in the days and weeks ahead. Already, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned that there will be more floods in the days ahead. It is not only NEMA that is issuing the warnings....

Houses submerged in Makurdi town Nigeria due to the flooding of Ladgo reservoir in Cameroon. Shot by Achakpa, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

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