From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria’s (TUC) National Administrative Council has demanded that government at all levels work together immediately to compensate victims of the terrible floods that have once again claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth billions of naira.
In a statement, Festus Osifo, the National President of the TUC, expressed sympathy to the working class and their families for the losses brought on by the floods that have ravaged 33 of the country’s 36 states and submerged infrastructure like schools, hospitals, police stations, and offices.
He advised the government to among other measures, take climate change seriously and work on meeting minimum international requirements to tackle it.
According to the statement; “over 40,000 homes have been destroyed and the nation’s food security threatened. TUC insists that such a growing level of devastation ought to have elicited emergency responses in the entire country, which would have saved its citizens the pains, anguish and embarrassment they are currently subjected to. The poor, working people and their families are always vulnerable to the inactions of the government.
“It is true that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency had warned against the high amount of rainfall in September 2022 which may trigger floods in some states. It is also a fact that the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA gave similar warnings, but governments at all levels did not put preventive or at best control measures in place but rather devoted all energies to political activities at the expense of governance.
“The Federal Government blaming state governments for allegedly ignoring the letters of the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu informing them of the impending floods, is at this time unhelpful. What the country needs is a synergy by the three tiers of government to quickly come to the rescue of the displaced by immediately providing temporary shelter, warm clothing, food and medical supplies not just for the immediate, but also to combat the post-flood waterborne diseases that have become inescapable.
“A country suffers in many ways than one when it refuses to elect serious leaders driven by development, we must dredge the river Niger to its full depth potential, so as to form a deep basin to warehouse water bodies coming from Cameroon and the Niger Republic.
“Dredging gives you so much tonnage of white sharp sand for construction and export, if that is done it means we won’t stupidly, insipidly and haplessly be begging our poor neighbours not to release their dams. When you dredge, there will automatically be a reasonable depth for River transportation and multiple wharves in Lokoja, Onitsha.
“Congress appeals to corporate Nigeria to roll out flood funds of solidarity to assist the victims, while individuals can also take initiatives to come to the aid of those rendered homeless and helpless by the floods. The Federal Government should also take steps to ensure that the release of water from the Kiri, Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro dams does not worsen the flood situation.
“The government also needs to engage our neighbours on how flooding can be controlled. For instance, the media reports that the September 13, 2022 release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon was partly responsible for the serious level of flooding the country is experiencing.
“While taking these necessary measures, the TUC appeals for a systematic flood prevention and control system so that such flooding tragedy does not become a seasonal re-occurring feature.
“We stand with the working people and indeed the entire Nigerians during these trying times.
“This is the time to truly show that an injury to one is an injury to all,” the statement read.