By Miriam Humbe
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has conducted a joint rapid assessment of the recent flood incidents that affected communities in Lokoja and Kabba Local Government Areas of Kogi State.
This was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday from the Press Unit at NEMA Headquarters in Abuja.
The Director General NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, upon receiving reports of the flooding, activated the Agency’s Abuja Operations office, which covers Kogi State and directed the prompt deployment of a response team to carry out the assessment in the affected communities.
The team, led by Mr. Zakari Abubakar, Head of NEMA Abuja Operations Office, arrived in Lokoja and held a pre-assessment briefing with the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA) and other relevant stakeholders.
As part of the engagement, the joint team also paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Joel Salifu, before proceeding to the affected communities in Kabba and Lokoja LGAs for on-the-spot assessments.
Preliminary findings from the assessment revealed that, although no life was lost, the flood caused damage to several residential buildings and displaced numerous households.
Some farmlands were also submerged, leading to the loss of crops and livelihoods.
The joint assessment team comprised representatives from NEMA, KOSEMA, the Kogi State Fire Service, the Executive Chairman of Kabba LGA, Local Government officials, traditional rulers, and youth representatives.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to support the Kogi State Government and collaborate with all relevant partners to mitigate the impact of the disaster and provide timely assistance to the affected populations.
