Floods in BornoÂ
As of last count, over 250 Nigerians have reportedly lost their lives in the tragic but avoidable flood disaster that struck the beleaguered Borno state, a state ravaged by unending insurgency that has cost the lives of thousands.
The nature of the floods is unprecedented in scale and intensity, aside the magnitude of casualties. This disaster was avoidable given the report making the rounds that humongous fund was allocated earlier for the repair and maintenance of the dam whose bursting was responsible for the huge scale of the floods. Yet, nobody has been held to account for this serious crime that has snowballed into the tragic incident.
Of greater concern is the lackadaisical and cavalierly attitude of government to maintenance of public utilities and infrastructure. Until infrastructure get to tipping point in terms of decay, government at federal and subnational levels hardly pay attention; and if anything, such intervention when it comes often looks like scratching the surface.
NATIONAL WAVES like millions of Nigerians is saddened by the tragedy in Borno, the loss of innocent lives , the overarching destruction of property, and the refugee status of over one million people displaced by the floods.
This incident no doubt, will serve as a wakeup call on government to be proactive rather than reactive in disaster management.
We appreciate the gesture of some governors , agencies, NGOs and others who have reacted in form of funds and logistic, but this also should serve as a rude awakening for them in their states.
Following the devastating effect of the flooding in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the federal government has approved N3 billion for each state of the federation to tackle all forms of natural disasters.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who dropped hints about the development, stressed the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to partner the states towards addressing the challenges of flood and other natural disasters in the country. Though NATIONAL WAVES appreciates this token from the federal government, but this kind of disaster was expected given warnings from federal agency responsible for weather for citizens living in some parts of the flood-prone states including Borno to evacuate, but what alternative housing arrangement was made available? This is one of the crisis of leadership in the country.Governments in Borno and at the centre should make alternative arrangement to house the displaced, offer them financial compensation and ensure they are given medical attention given their exposure to waters.
