Mokwa flood was an avoidable tragedy - Sen Umeh *Calls for dredging of River Niger

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By Madu Obi

Senator Victor Umeh representing Anambra Central in the Red chambers, has called on the federal government to take decisive and preventive action to avert future flooding disasters across Nigeria, describing the Mokwa flood in Niger State that claimed many lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira, as an avoidable tragedy.

Seconding a motion sponsored by Senator Peter Jiya (Niger South) and supported by more than 20 senators, Umeh highlighted the devastating effects of the Mokwa flood on the nation's economy.

"The incident was an avoidable tragedy.This wasn’t just a flood, it was a tragedy that gave every signal, yet no one acted", the Senator said.

According to him, the incident happened despite early warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

He condemned the inaction of relevant agencies and warned that Nigeria would continue to suffer annual flood-related disasters, unless comprehensive preventive measures are taken.

He also advocated for the dredging of major rivers such as the River Niger, the construction of robust drainage infrastructure, and the deployment of real-time flood warning systems across flood-prone regions.

Senator Umeh also cautioned that rainfall projections for July point to the urgent need for proactive interventions, rather than reactive measures such as condolence visits and relief efforts after the disaster had struck.

“The pattern is predictable. The risks are known. The time to act is now,” he added.