Govt’s response to natural disasters slow – Mark
*As Senate urges FG to address problem of flooding in Lagos
BY HENRY UMORU
ABUJA- SENATE President, David Mark, declared yesterday that the Federal Government’s response to natural disasters, especially flooding, was too slow. He also urged the government to expedite action in addressing the problem.
Mark, who spoke when the motion on flood disaster in Lagos was presented before the Senate, stressed that it had become imperative for the Federal Government to double its action in nipping such disasters in the bud as they were far beyond the capacity of state governments to tackle.
He also called on the Federal Government to make itself available to affected states when the need arose by assisting them, adding that the two tiers of government must also be proactive, if they must meet with the challenges of natural disasters in the country.
Mark said: “the Federal Government’s reaction to occurrence of natural disasters is very slow. We should increase our level of preparedness”.
The Senate President who noted that problems associated with disasters in the country had become very worrisome, however, canvassed a state of emergency to enable the Federal Government address the situation .
He said: “Declaring a state of emergency in a state is not to remove the governor. It is a misconception that during state of emergency, state governors are removed.”
Meanwhile, after three weeks’ screening of ministerial nominees sent to it by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate yesterday, began discussions on motions, with the first being the incessant flooding that devastated Lagos State, which resulted in several loss of lives and property.
The Senate urged NIMASA to remove all wrecked ships from Nigeria’s Inland water ways, even as it also observed a minute silence for those who lost their lives to flood.
It called on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to, as a matter of urgency, carry out repairs of affected roads across the country.
The resolutions of the senate came after a motion, titled, ‘’Flood Disaster in Lagos State”, moved by Senator Ganiyu Solomon, representing Lagos West senatorial district.
The co-sponsors were Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Lagos Central; Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Lagos East; Senator Basheer Mohammed, Kano Central; Senator Victor Lar, Plateau South; Senator Joshua Dariye, Plateau Central and Senator Hope Uzodinmma, Imo West.
Presenting the motion, Senator Solomon, while regretting the carnage left on the trail of last Sunday’s downpour in parts of Lagos, stressed, however, that during the tragic incident, many lives, including children, were lost and property worth hundreds of millions of naira washed away.
Meanwhile, Senator Ita Solomon Enang, while answering questions from newsmen, regretted the flood in Lagos. He said that God had made provisions for channeling of the water but human beings rechanneled them, that people built houses there.
He said what happened was a case of water reclaiming what was earlier claimed by man, and urged the people to be careful.
