Utomi said that Nigeria must set about constructing a network of dams down the Niger and Benue Rivers in order to avert floods in the future.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Big Tent Coalition of Political Parties, Civil Society Organisations and social movements for a third force-driven political change have decided to mobilise humanitarian aid to victims of flooding across the country.
In a Zoom meeting on Sunday, convener of Big Tent, Prof Pat Utomi, lamented that up to 700 people have died so far this year as a result of flooding in Nigeria.
Utomi regretted that government has through negligence allowed the worsening of the misery index in Nigeria by failing to implement recommendations made over the years.
“That is more people than in some of the world’s civil wars,” Utomi said, according to a statement by the Big Tent for Obi/Baba Ahmed Campaign Communication Directorate.
He wondered how government could ignore the horrifying flooding which he has observed aerially flying into Port Harcourt, Asaba and Abuja in the last week. He expressed concern that a state of emergency had yet to be declared by the federal government unless it is unwilling to treat it as a national emergency.
In the remarks titled ‘We must rise to the challenge of flooding’ Utomi said, “I first want to empathise with all who have lost dear ones and the many more whose property, including life long investments has been lost to the floods.
“With pain I recall having served on a committee set up by the Delta State Government on the effect of flooding a decade ago. I not only served on that committee but canvassed civil society and corporate CSR involvement.
“At a personal level I also organised a Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) emergency response initiative sending truckloads of mattresses, food items and in additition to consumables largely from my corporate friends I followed up with personal visits to communities along the Gongola, River in Adamawa State, my Native Delta State and Anambra State where I collaborated with the Catholic Archdiocese of Onisha visiting IDP camps in the company of the Archbishop of Onitsha Dr. Valerian Maduka Okeke.”
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Utomi noted that the Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi rose in his evaluation when in 2012 he ran into Obi in Florida in the US when the then incumbent governor of Anambra State was on his way to Haiti as a humanitarian volunteer worker following a natural disaster there while he, Utomi, was on his way from attending the convention of the Republican Party in Tampa.
Utomi also called on all Nigerians to show care to their challenged neighbours, noting that in solidarity our humanity is elevated.
The NCFront and Labour Party leader further remarked that he made a series of suggestions back then on how Nigeria could avert this outcome of climate change which he feared could be a seasonal issue, however not much was done to plan to avert future flooding through a network of dams that would capture floodwaters for all season farming and irrigation.
He said that sadly once the momentary pain cleared Nigeria returned to business as usual.
Utomi said that Nigeria must set about constructing a network of dams down the Niger and Benue Rivers as offered as proposed in the Obi/Baba Ahmed manifesto.
“Such can help us capture these flood waters that currently devastate lives and convert them into services of all season irrigation for farming all year round,” he said.
He charged Obi’s supporters saying, “We must respond today to the dangers of health epidemic. I must thank Doctors and Medics for Peter Obi for the mission they have in Delta State offering medical assistance to flood plains in Delta State.”
He welcomed the input of the Health Deep Dive team presented by the focal person for health in the Big Tent Policy and future view shadow group Dr Lorretta Ogboro-Okor on how to prevent the floods from becoming a health care epidemic and disaster.
