“The Care of human life and happiness,
And not their destruction, is the First and only legitimate object Of good government”. [Thomas Jefferson]
As the quintessential epitomization of satyriasis lies and dovetails into saturnalian debauchery, so, nature abused, fights back with odium. Hence, Jean Louis Agassiz (1807-1873) observed that “The study of Nature is an intercourse with the Highest Mind. You should never trifle with Nature”. Man, has horrendously abused Nature over the years and now Nature is vengefully fighting back with and through CLIMATE CHANGE”.
The climate change phenomenon has led to the horrid depletion of the Ozone Layer and has also precipitated disastrous climatological consequences on the planet Earth. Resulting in delugial floods, droughts, tornadoes, gales, hurricanes, dermatological cancer, optical diseases and other multidimensional socio-economic aftermaths.
In Nigeria, the weatheriological and meteorological bodies have warned of the coming of floods of biblical proportion in over 30 states of the Federation. In the last flood disaster the Federal Government doled out Billions of Naira to statutorily obligated institutions charged with alleviating and checkmating the effects of the floods and to the State Governments.
Indeed, the Ministry of Works got 2.6Billion and an additional 556 Million, NEMA got 1.1Billion plus 1.24Billion, Ministry of Environment got 250Million plus 95Million, National Committee for Refugees got 150Million and Technical Committee on Flood Impact Assessment got 100Million. These monies are exclusive of what the Federal Government disbursed to the States and what various State Governments injected into the fight against floods, structures and compensations etc.
The torrential rainfall, the opening of the Lagdo Dam by the Cameroonian Authorities as it happened Last Year, the slow pace of work on the Kashimbilla Multipurpose Dam being constructed by the Federal Government in Taraba State, the Collective Leadership inertia in most States of the Federation and the lethargic pace of the 23 Dams being constructed across the country will definitely precipitate terribly horrendous floods.
The fight to checkmate the coming killer floods is on-going in Delta State, as illegal structures along drainage paths and waterways are being pulled down in Asaba, Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Effurun, Agbor, Orerokpe, Aladja etc. In Warri the opening-up of culverts, bridges, waterways, gutters etc has gained intensive acceleration. The bridge along Lower Erejuwa Road, Ogboru/Nelson/Deco/Avenue/Okandeji/Ope/Omoine and Father Healey Streets are receiving commendable attention and personally supervised by Chief Omare, the Commissioner for Environment.
In short, I saw the Commissioner hired an engine boat (watercraft vessel) and went to superintend the quenching of a fuel barge conflagration on the warri River Opposite Warri Club/Naval Base and there were two water hyacinth tractors doing cleansing of the Warri River. These efforts must be commended.
But we must admonish the Commissioner and His Excellency Governor Uduaghan, that this is a Molehill in a Mountain and a tip of iceberg. They must note that Delta State, River State, Akwa-Ibom State, Edo State, Ondo State, Lagos State etc as litoral States experience more rainfall and hence floods than other states in Nigeria and must be fully prepared for the in-coming killer floods.
The sand filling and building of a Model School on the Warri Prison Rice Farm along Esisi Road by the Okere Bridge is wrong. That Rice Farm acted as a shoreline protection measure, flood comber, rain chamber and speed breaker to floods. We also wish to draw the attention of the Hon. Commissioner and His Excellency to the Warri drainage plan brought from Holland by Late Chief (Dr) Esiri in 1963 and being executed by the then Warri Divisional Council, the Igberaja/Abeke Drainage plan for Sapele Urban Area of 1961 and the 1962 Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh sponsored Bill on flood exigencies and the creation of the Mid-Western Region etc.
We call for attention to be given to the Delta Development and Planning Authority Area Effurun (DDPA) and the NPA/Niger Cat/Ugbuwangue/Ughoton/Jeddo/Ubeji and Ogbokodo – as these areas have no viable and functional drainage systems and the existing ones are blocked by dirt. There is need for the channelization of the area and its environs into the Edjeba/Ugboroke/Effurun etc Rivers and their tributaries. We admonish the commissioner and His Excellency that the Upper Ogunu, Okere Road/Ajamimoghan, Esisi, Pessu, Alawuru, Agbassa, Mccliver Roads be channelized to the Warri river based on proximity to various points.
There must be massive sensitization based virtually on propaganda hype through Delta Television, Pointer Newspapers, Delta Fm radio and other communication medium to the people of Delta State on how to be prepared like the people of Oklahoma before the disastrous tornado in America. We are yet to see Waves/Flood breakers in our rivers. We call for the construction of flood/wave breaker in all our rivers in Delta State to forestall inundation due to flood breaker absence.
The Methuselah Sapele market that has been undergoing construction for over 8 years now after being burnt down should be dredged and beveled into the Sapele river to avoid floods getting into the town, if the river Ethiope over shoots its Banks. The Sapele Urban Area should be channeled to the Sapele River and Ughelli town and its environs should be adequately channelized.
This is not Government effort alone. All hands must be on deck to forestall the in-coming devasting and killer floods. We still call on Government to setup, exclusive of existing bodies, Delta State Flood Monitoring, Emergency, Rehabilitation and Refugee Assistance Body [DSFMERAB] to work with the People and all relevant Government Agencies to alleviate the shelter, refugees, health and food supplies problems etc.
Finally, the tidal surge of force majeure is no respecter of lives and properties. We admonish the Delta State Government and the Nigerian Government to do their best and we hope that their best will be good enough to forestall the draconic tentacles of the killer floods. Abraham Lincoln [1809-1865] posited that, “Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories”. We deserve the best from an Oil Producing State and it’s Leadership.