Adedokun Waliyu 
Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a “state of national disaster” over recent flooding in the country.
Bello said this on Saturday in his address to mark the country’s 62nd independence anniversary.
Nigeria is currently experiencing a series of flooding across states, including Kogi.
This, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has led to the displacement of over 100,000 people in 2022, while over 200 deaths have been recorded.
Speaking on Saturday, Bello said he is deeply distressed by the devastation and suffering that Nigerians are facing due to the rising floodwaters in 2022.
He said the emergency declaration would help to unlock the nation’s latent capabilities to respond more aggressively to the situation.
“I make a passionate appeal to the father of the nation, his excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, to declare a state of national disaster due to flooding in Kogi and other similarly affected states,” he said.
In Lokoja, road shoulders along the banks of the River Niger from the entrance of the city in Natako will be widened to establish a sufficient buffer zone between the city and the river.
“Ganaja junction to Ganaja village road has also been recently re-awarded to a more efficient contractor and we will see to it that when work commences, efforts will be made to raise the road above the water levels mentioned.”
