IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Kogi State Senators: Oseni Yakubu (APC Kogi Central); Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West); and Jibrin Echocho (APC Kogi East), are yet to raise the issue of flood ravaging Lokoja, the state capital, on the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
Various videos had surfaced online for the past one week, showing the devastating condition of the state.
In the videos, houses were seen submerged in water and some totally swamped as a result of the flood.
Some of the areas affected by the flood include: Lokoja, Kogi-Koto, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Igalamela-Odolu, Bassa, Idah, Bassa, Kotonkarffe, Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Ofu and Omala, among others, including the Kogi State House of Assembly on Ganja road in the city capital.
During the plenary on Tuesday, hopes were high in anticipation that one of the Kogi Senators would speak for their constituencies like senators in Jigawa, Niger, Benue States and the rest did at the last seating but to the surprise of many, none of them raised a motion relating to the disaster in the state.
Senator Jibrin Isah, however, stood up to support the motion moved by the senator representing Bayelsa East, Degi-Eremienyo Biobarakuma.
Biobarakuma moved a motion to save coastline communities that have been dealt with by erosion in Bayelsa State.
The motion, which was titled, ‘Urgent need to reclaim and protect shorelines at Anyama, Tiwon-Brass, Odioama, and Sangana communities devasted by coastal erosion in Bayelsa East Senatorial District of Bayelsa State’, was raised as a cry to call on the National Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to help the people of Bayelsa.
The Kogi East senator still did not mention anything about his constituency, even when other senators like Senator Chukwu Utazi (Enugu North) spoke for farmers and other people who were affected by the flood in Anambra State. It was thereafter that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, intervened that Biobarakuma should accommodate other states that have been greatly affected by the flood.
Lawan, having listened to all sides, then approved the motion.