A rainstorm has wreaked havoc in some communities in the Kogi West Senatorial District of the state, destroying properties and displacing families from their ancestral homes.
The affected communities include Mopa and Amuro Districts, both in Mopamuro Local Government Area of the state.
It was reliably gathered that the communities of Odole, Ileteju 1, Ileteju 2, Aiyeteju, Agbajogun, Effo Amuro, Ayede, and Takete—spanning across Mopa and Amuro Districts—were struck by the devastating natural disaster.
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Confirming the incident in a motion of urgent public importance before the Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday, the member representing Mopamuro State Constituency, Hon. Jacob Sam Olawumi, noted that the calamity, in the form of heavy rainfall accompanied by a violent storm, wreaked untold havoc on lives and properties.
“The House should note that the storm left in its wake unimaginable destruction: rooftops were ripped off residential and public buildings; power lines were torn down, plunging the affected communities into darkness; trees were violently uprooted; farmlands were submerged and stripped bare by torrents of floodwaters; and, most heartbreakingly, numerous families were displaced and rendered homeless.
“In light of the foregoing, I urge this Honourable House to further note that this incident has not only disrupted normal life but has also exposed the affected residents to serious humanitarian challenges.
“It is, therefore, both timely and necessary that this Honourable House acts swiftly to bring relief from relevant government agencies to our suffering citizens who are now without shelter, electricity, food, and access to basic amenities,” he lamented.
After careful deliberation among the lawmakers present at the sitting, the House resolved that the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA) be urgently called upon to carry out a comprehensive on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused by the storm in the affected communities, determine the full extent of the devastation, and deploy immediate relief materials to cushion the impact on the victims. It also resolved that KOSEMA should forward the outcome of its assessment to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for federal-level intervention and support.
The current Eighth Assembly in Kogi State also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), and the Kogi State Social Investment Programme (KOSIP) to provide relief materials, extend social support, and offer other humanitarian assistance to the affected families and communities.
It also mandated the House Standing Committee on Environment to visit the affected Mopamuro communities for an independent on-the-spot assessment and to report back with its observations and recommendations for any further legislative or executive action deemed necessary.