Flooding: Senate urges NIMET to make information available to public

 

The Senate has urged Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) to make public, all flooding forecast, information to Nigerians to ensure preparedness on flood mitigation.

 

It said awareness on flood information would facilitate the provisions of precautionary measures and avoid loss of lives and properties.

 

Senate resolutions followed adoption of a motion on “Urgent Need to provide Palliative Support for Ipao, Itapaji and Oke-Ako Communities in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

 

The motion was sponsored by Sen. Cyril Fasuyi (APC- Ekiti North).

 

Fasuyi said on June 2, a violent windstorm and heavy rainfall affected Ipao, Itapaji and Oke-Ako towns in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

 

He said the storm resulted to destruction of houses, farmlands, schools, properties, food items , shelters and other valuables.

 

He said the victims were currently living in deplorable conditions, having been dispersed to some neighboring villages to live with friends and relatives with little or nothing to cater for the needs of their families.

 

Fasuyi expressed worry that government agencies did not provide warning and advance information to prevent and control imminent disasters on the communities across the country.

 

He said the communities have continued to experience constant fear and absence of knowledge for preparedness to avert natural disasters.

 

“So far, no agency of the state or federal government has come to the assistance of the victims of these natural disasters”.

 

Contributing, Sen. Ede Dafinone (APC- Delta) expressed concern over the failure of Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) to provide information, when he sought for it on recommendations and preparedness of NIMET.

 

According to him, he was asked to pay three million  naira to get the information.

 

Dafinone said NIMET should be asked to make all flood warnings available to the public and specifically to the state governments.

 

This, he said would help the people to adequately prepare for any eventuality.

 

Sen. Joel-Onowakpo (APC-Delta) said the issue of flooding and rainstorm have become a perennial disaster .

 

He said relevant government agencies should be proactive in providing the needed information for people to get prepared for the wet season.

 

“Knowing when the rains will come and preparing for the disaster that will occur thereafter is very important,” he said.

 

The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Barau Jibrin(APC-Kano), who presided over the plenary said NIMET should not wait for people to ask for the information on flooding, but should make such information available at all times.

 

Senate in its further resolution urged Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief items especially, food items, building materials, farm tools and other essential equipment to affected communities.

 

It mandated Committees on Environment and Legislative Compliance to ensure strict compliance with the resolutions and report back to plenary in four weeks.

NCDC calls for preventive measures against yellow fever during rainy season

 

 

 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that as with cholera outbreak, cases of yellow fever also increase during rainy season.

 

The Director-General of the centre, Dr Jide Idris, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that yellow fever, a viral infection transmitted by infected mosquitoes, also posed significant health risks.

 

According to him, the spike in yellow fever incidents can largely be attributed to heightened mosquito activities, as these insects are primary vectors for the disease

 

He said yellow fever is an epidemic-prone, vaccine-preventable disease caused by an arbovirus transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes.

 

He added that the incubation period ranges from three to six days.

 

He explained that “many people do not experience symptoms, but when they occur, the most common are fever, muscle pain with prominent back pain, headache, loss of appetite, and nausea or vomiting.

 

“In most cases, symptoms disappear after three to four days.”

 

The NCDC boss said that a small percentage of cases progressed to a toxic phase, with systemic infection affecting the liver and kidneys.

 

“These individuals can have more severe symptoms like high-grade fever, abdominal pain with vomiting, jaundice, and dark urine, caused by acute liver and kidney failure.

 

“Bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes, or stomach. Death can occur within seven to 10 days in about half of cases with severe symptoms,” he said.

 

He also said that yellow fever is preventable through vaccine, which is safe and affordable.

 

He noted that “a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to grant sustained immunity and life-long protection.

 

“A booster dose of the vaccine is not needed. The vaccine provides effective immunity within 10 days for 80-100 per cent of people vaccinated, and within 30 days for more than 99 per cent of people vaccinated.”

 

The NCDC however, explained that implementing effective mosquito control measures could substantially reduce the risk of yellow fever infection.

 

He said stagnant water served as breeding ground for mosquitoes and advised that people should regularly clean their surroundings to eliminate breeding space for mosquitoes.

 

“Water containers are essential for many households, but they can also be breeding sites for mosquitoes if left uncovered. Always keep them sealed.

 

“When outdoors, especially during peak mosquito activity times (dusk and dawn), wear long sleeves and pants to reduce the risk of mosquito bites,” he said.

 

He noted that by following preventive measures, communities could better protect themselves from yellow fever during rainy season.

 

Idris also said that NCDC had continued to monitor reports of yellow fever cases in Nigeria, with a total of 600 suspected cases reported from 272 local government areas across 36 states, and the FCT in 2023.

 

“Cases were reported from Abia (8), Adamawa (7), Anambra (13), Bauchi (70), Bayelsa (2), Benue (10), Borno (30), Cross River (3), Delta (12), Ebonyi (4), Edo (3), Ekiti (10), Enugu (30), FCT (2), Gombe (7), Imo (8), Jigawa (53), Kaduna (11), Kano (6), and Katsina (88).

 

“Others were Kebbi (27), Kogi (6), Kwara (7), Lagos (4), Nasarawa (13), Niger (18), Ogun (13), Ondo (22), Osun (2), Oyo (9),
Plateau (33), Rivers (6), Taraba (19), Yobe (8) and Zamfara (26).”

 

He said that four presumptive positive cases were reported at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) Abuja and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu.

 

“These cases were reported from Katagum in Bauchi State (2) and Udenu in Enugu State (2),” he said.

 

He, however, said that no deaths were recorded from suspected cases in the November 2023 report.