Residents Lose Over N40 bn to Flood in Kogi

Idris Wada of Kogi on Thursday said property valued at more than N40 billion had been lost in the recent floods in four local government areas of the state.

A press statement issued in Lokoja by the Deputy Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Michael Abu, said preliminary report on the disaster showed that over 100 communities were affected. The governor said this when officials of the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) briefed him on the disaster.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Yomi Awoniyi, Wada said however that the government was still taking inventory of the damages.``We have about 100,000 registered displaced persons who are currently camped in nine centres across the state.’’ Wada, described the floods as the worst since 1936, and expressed fears that it would create food scarcity in the state. He said the government would take inventory of farms lost to the flood and compensate the affected farmers.

``We have directed the Ministry of Agriculture to take inventory where possible for government to buy off such crops."
Wada described the floods as unimaginable and unfortunate, and assured that the Federal and the state governments would collaborate to cushion the effects of the disaster