Flood: Govt must plan ahead – Clark

[MrVan]

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—FORMER Federal Commissioner and Elder Statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, described flood disasters in parts of the country where many communities had been submerged, ravaged and property worth millions of naira destroyed, as a national disaster.

According to him, if these occurrences must be nipped in the bud and future ones averted, it had become imperative for the government and Nigerians to plan ahead, just as he called on the federal, state and local governments, as well as other voluntary bodies, to do everything possible to assist the returnees rebuild their devastated homes.

An aerial view of submerged community in Rivers during President Jonathan's visit. Photo: State House In a statement he personally signed , the Ijaw leader expressed concern over the unprecedented flood disasters, even as he commended President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors for their quick intervention, noting that Nigerians must join hands with the Federal and state governments to address the problem.

Chief Clark promised that he would contribute his widow's mite to areas in the eye of the raging storms, the Niger-Delta lowlands, among others

The leader of the South-South, who prayed fervently that Nigeria and the entire world should never again experience this social harzard, said: "I join all well-meaning Nigerians, and others all over the world, in expressing my sympathies with the country in general, and communities and direct victims, in particular, affected by  the unprecedented flood disasters currently ravaging many parts of our nation. My heart goes out, especially, to the families that have lost, not only material possessions of untold values, but also, their blood relations."

Vanguard Nigeria