JCI, Others Proffer Ways to Combat Perennial Flooding in Niger Delta

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The Junior Chamber International (JCI) at the weekend hosted prominent Niger Deltans and scholars to find sustainable solution to the perennial flooding in Bayelsa State, the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general.

At a National reunion of Senate JCI held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State, speakers including the JCI Chairman, Senator Oluwarotimi Adewole; the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote and the keynote speaker, Engr. Ebipawodei Wodi, all agreed that all hands must be on the desk to end flooding or reduced the impacts of the annual disaster in the country.

Speaking on the theme, “Perennial flooding in Nigeria: Causes and Sustainable Solutions for National Development,” Wodi, said flooding had become an annual issue in Nigeria, which should be talked by both individuals, communities, local, state and federal government.
He said though the issue of flood cannot be entirely eradicated from the society, adding that communities and governments could do something to reduce the impact of flooding.

He said, “I also said clearly that you cannot eradicate flooding entirely from the society, but you can do something to reduce the impact of flooding and what we proposed that should be done cuts across what individuals should do, the communities should do, the local governments, the state and the federal governments.

“For example, nothing stops the local governments from sensitising the people on the need to be conscious of their sanitation; we shouldn’t be throwing used sachet water, bottled water packs and other refuses in the drainage channels, that would also go a long way in preventing the flood, they should set up a committee that would help during the flood.”

In his remark, Wabote, agreed that flooding was not only a Bayelsa or Nigeria challenge, but a global menace every year.
He said, “Every year, either caused by human activities, we have so much to talk about, like the global warming, some of which are caused by individuals, we don’t take care of our environment, we don’t keep the drains clean, and we expect that when it rains, it will find its level?
“So, it’s a global problem, that’s why JCI gathered today in Bayelsa to talk about it, and I think the reason for the theme is that the consequence of the flooding in Bayelsa which is really grave, because we see it, there’s loss of livelihood, families are displaced, schools are shut down and the rest of it.

“So, I think the call by participants of the workshop is to say, there need to be a focus on concerted effort in addressing the issues of flooding in the state.
“Bayelsa is not being singled out because like you know, when the flooding comes, most states in the Niger Delta are affected, but, discussions has to start somewhere, and this body decided that look, we need to pay more attention, perhaps the devastation of the flood is a lot more in Bayelsa state when it comes to Nigeria.

“So I think part of the solutions that we have proffered today is that the state government itself needs to have serious focus on flooding issues, they should not just leave it as something that they pay lip service to.”
The NCDMB Boss also called on interventionist agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to use their resources to focus on issues like flooding and erosion control because it’s a strategic issue which was one of reasons of setting up intervention agencies.

Earlier in his remark, the Chairman of the JCI Senate, Senator Oluwarotimi Adewole, said the flood that hit Bayelsa was massive and the workshop was a way to proffer solution to the perennial flood which devastated many families in the state.