Photo credit: the Punch
We’ve had floods in some places this year. Although the floods have been serious in some places, weather forecasts are indicating that we are yet to have a respite.
Indeed, if the reports are to be merged with reality, one has no option but to believe.
This is why the authorities in Lagos State have read the riot act to people who built their houses in places which are encouraging floods.
I wonder if no government was in power when the houses were being built in the first instance. Or could it be a matter of shady dealings gaining an upper hand? For crying out loud, houses are not in any way similar to pins.
However, I know there used to be a National Emergency Management Authority in this country. It had six regional offices.
The regional offices were in Jos, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Lagos. I wonder where the office was in Lagos.
The mission of the agency was to coordinate resource towards efficient and effective disaster prevention, preparation, mitigation and response in Nigeria.
It’s vision was to build a culture of preparedness, prevention, response and community resilience to disaster in Nigeria.
In short, it was in charge of disaster management. It even had helicopters.
I’ve used the past tense advisedly since I don’t know if the agency is still alive to it’s responsibilities.
If it is not, then everybody should take care of themselves. And that might be embarrassing to the government.
It might, if we have a government that really cares about the people.
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