Mulade Urges Niger Delta Governors to Act on NiMet Flood Warning

Renowned Niger Delta environmental rights activist and development advocate, Chief (Comrade) Sheriff Mulade, PhD, has called on governors of the Niger Delta states to urgently implement proactive measures to mitigate the impact of the impending flooding forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), warning that failure to act could result in severe humanitarian and environmental consequences.

Mulade, who is the National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), made the call in a statement issued on Monday, expressing concern over what he described as the continued neglect of citizens' welfare by political leaders.

He lamented that many public office holders appear to place personal ambitions and partisan political interests above their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.

According to the environmental advocate, recurring flood disasters have continued to inflict enormous hardship on communities across the Niger Delta, with many victims of the devastating 2012 floods and subsequent flooding incidents yet to fully recover from their losses.

Mulade, who also holds the traditional title of Ibe-Sorimowei of the Ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, said the inability of governments at various levels to implement sustainable flood prevention and disaster management measures has left vulnerable communities exposed to repeated environmental disasters.

He warned that without urgent and coordinated interventions ahead of the peak of the rainy season, the region could once again witness widespread destruction of homes, farmlands, critical infrastructure and livelihoods.

The CEPEJ National Coordinator urged governors of the Niger Delta states to work closely with relevant federal agencies, emergency management organisations, local government councils and community stakeholders to develop and implement effective flood mitigation strategies.

He recommended the immediate evacuation of residents from high-risk flood-prone communities, desilting of waterways and drainage channels, strengthening emergency response systems, provision of relief materials and healthcare services, as well as sustained public awareness campaigns to minimise the anticipated impact of flooding.

Mulade particularly called on the governments of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, which have historically recorded some of the worst cases of seasonal flooding, to lead the implementation of preventive measures aimed at protecting lives and property.

He maintained that proactive planning, intergovernmental collaboration and genuine commitment to the welfare of citizens remain the most effective means of preventing another large-scale flood disaster in the Niger Delta.

His appeal follows a recent flood risk alert issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which warned that widespread rainfall during the peak of the rainy season could trigger flash floods across 27 states of the federation.

Mulade stressed that the warning should not be treated as a routine advisory but as a call to action, urging governments to take immediate steps to reduce the potential impact of flooding on vulnerable communities and safeguard lives and livelihoods.