By Bose Adelaja

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has advised Nigerians to engage in tree planting, saying this will prevent disasters arising from windstorms presently ravaging many communities in Nigeria.

According to the Agency, about 600 houses have been damaged by windstorm, while over 5000 persons in the South West geo-political zone of the country have been displaced so far in the first quarter of this year.

Also, major fire incidents have displaced about 250 secondary school children of Unity Secondary College, Ikire, Osun State.

NEMA Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Iyiola Akande, made the call weekend, while assessing the extent of damages caused in various affected communities of Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State where over 200 houses were destroyed by windstorm and about 3,314 persons were affected as well as in Idi Araba and Onipanu area of Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State where about 100 houses were destroyed and over 800 persons rendered homeless.

Alhaji Akande asserted that in the past,  elders were more conscious of the serenity which tree planting brings to their compounds or the environment at large, even when there was little effect of climate change. He  said the reverse is now the case in most geo-political zones of the country.

He also warned against taking refuge under makeshift structures as these could cave-in and cause serious injury if such structures collapse due to heavy windstorm.

Akande  also said over 515 houses in Ekiti State were destroyed by windstorm with hail storm causing severe destruction in Omu-Ekiti which injured one person and about 1,099 persons rendered homeless in Ado Ekiti and Omu Ekiti . Osogbo and Ilesa West communities had bitter taste of the windstorm with several people and scores of houses affected.

Earlier, NEMA carried out on-the-spot inpection of two blocks of the hostel at the Unity Secondary School, Ikire, Osun State destroyed by windstorm. Over 250 children were affected with 80 of them due to start their final examinations.

The hostels were gutted by fire on two occasions within five days while the school was in session.

NEMA suggested that more security facilities be provided while recommending a perimeter fence be installed against intruders.

The Zonal Coordinator also called on the state government to introduce the training of school children on basic disaster risk reduction.