Jigawa: Prices of foodstuffs, essential commodities soar in flooded communities
06 September 2022 | 2:46 am
Prices of foodstuffs and essential commodities have skyrocketed in Jigawa State, while filling stations have dried up in Birnin-Kudu and Gwaram Local Councils, following ravaging floods that cut off roads and bridges linking the two major roads.
Foodstuff
• Flood kills 372 Nigerians in eight months, 508,000 persons affected’
• NIMET warns Kebbi, Borno, Kaduna, others to expect more flood
Prices of foodstuffs and essential commodities have skyrocketed in Jigawa State, while filling stations have dried up in Birnin-Kudu and Gwaram Local Councils, following ravaging floods that cut off roads and bridges linking the two major roads.
One of the flood affected victims of Birnin-Kudu, Hamisu Kantoga, told The Guardian yesterday on telephone that life has become miserable, as residents are living in a terrible condition, since the flood broke down three major bridges in the community.
“As, I am speaking to you now, crossing over to Birnin-Kudu is hectic as transport fare has doubled due to absence of access road, while food and fuel supply have been cut off
“Presently, prices of foodstuffs and essential goods have gone up. We are now in the hands of God for his divine Mercy for our lives.
“For example, a measurement basin of rice is now selling at N1,800, while there is scarcity of petroleum products, among other essential commodities.”
MEANWHILE, the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, yesterday, said flash floods have killed about 372 Nigerians in the last eight months.
Ahmed disclosed this in Abuja while launching various sets of operational vehicles as well as specialised equipment for effective search and rescue operations during disasters.
He added that the menace has affected a total of 508,000 persons, injured 277 persons, destroyed about 37,633 houses and loss of huge numbers of livestock.
According to him, flash floods have inundated 33 out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), maintaining that several farmland have been submerged by the ugly development mostly in Adamawa, Jigawa, Taraba, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Anambra and Ebonyi states.
“These have been accompanied by other derivative disasters. The agency has begun to venture into realms of proactive and predictive disaster risk management in line with best practices,” he added.
Ahmed said that the new equipment would be deployed across the Zonal, Territorial and Operational offices of the agency.
He said that the equipment would close existing gaps and meet the current challenges faced by actors responding to emergencies in the field.
The equipment include: three mobile intensive care unit ambulances, three Incident Response Vehicle (IRVs), two motorised boats, two inflatable boats, nine flood lights, 15 probe cameras and three life locators.
Others are: 15 breaching systems, nine chain saws, six concrete cutters, nine full body harnesses, nine hose pump unit, nine hydraulic cutter, nine hydraulic hose, nine hydraulic rescue ram and nine hydraulic spreader.
ALSO, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has warned that Kebbi and Jigawa, Borno, Bauchi Taraba Plateau and Bayelsa are at high risk of flood in September due to the high amount of rainfall experienced in the states in July and August this year.
The agency in a statement, yesterday, also warned that Kano, Adamawa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo,and Ekiti may experience flash floods.
According to NiMet , the saturated state of the soil moisture across the country in the month of July and heavy rainfall recorded in August may cause most places to experience varying degrees of flooding activities ranging from high, medium, low and flash flood for the month of September.
It further revealed that Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Kano, Borno, Gombe and Nasarawa states recorded over 300mm, which represents over 40 per cent of Long – term Normal of those places in one month. Places around the Southwestern part of the country, however, recorded less than 200mm as a result of the long dry spell associated with August Break over the areas.
The statement also disclosed that places with major river channels may experience probable high risk of flood events due to accumulation of water already on the river channels, which may not be able to contain any additional water.
The agency urged State Emergency Management Agencies to intensify adaptative, mitigative and response mechanisms while states that are expected to experience degrees of flood episodes are advised to begin their awareness campaigns through field extension workers for possible flood activities within the month of September, especially those at high risk areas.
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