In just two days after floods hit Niger State leaving 40 dead and over 100 communities submerged, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has delegated authority to the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Maihaja, to declare a “national disaster’’ if the anticipated flooding becomes a reality in parts of the country.
The President gave “Delegation of authority to the Director-General of NEMA to activate the Disaster Response Units of the military for possible search and rescue missions and also the procurement and proportionate stocking of relief materials and health-related items up to N3billion to provide for the needs of possible victims.’’
The President’s directive follows a warning by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) that Rivers Benue and Niger had almost reached levels that resulted in flooding in 2012, which led to the loss of lives and destruction of property.
