From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Water Resources to lead and coordinate with the Ministries of Environment and Transportation as well as State Governments to develop a Comprehensive Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disaster in Nigeria.
A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the directive was conveyed to the Minister in a letter signed by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, said the Plan should be presented to him in 90 days.
According to the statement, Buhari, who regularly receives updates on the flooding situation in the country and restated his commitment towards addressing the challenges caused by the disaster in the country.
Last week, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) had called on President Buhari to emulate other world leaders and visit Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, to access the level of damage and destruction caused by devastating flood in some states.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its extraordinary meeting held in Abuja last week Thursday, and signed by its National Leader, Chief Edwin Clark; National President, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, and other critical stakeholders in the region.
The flood is reported to killed 600 people, sacked millions from their homes and destroyed about 300,000 acres of farmland.