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Fresh fears of food crisis as floods sweep states, submerge farmlands

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Severe flooding across the states has continued to ravage farmland and submerge buildings with farmers saying the signs are ominous for food production.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed last week that the flooding has already claimed 185 lives and displaced 208,000 people in 28 states across the country.

About 107,000 hectares of farmland have been washed away, much of it in the north.

Hundreds of  private and public buildings and infrastructure were submerged.

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Reports from different parts of the country yesterday showed that floods resulting from persistent rainfall  in Yobe,Niger,Zamfara,Gombe and Benue States,among others ,in the last few days have submerged more farmlands ,roads , and properties both private and public.

Taraba State,  which is often flooded at this time of the year when Cameroun’s Lagdo Dam is opened to release its excess water,has put in place a flood control team across all its  168 wards.

The various state emergency management agencies and NEMA are also mobilising  human and material resources to deal with the situation.

Most hit by the floods in Niger State are Mashegu and Magama local government areas where thousands of farmlands planted with rice, maize, yam, sorghum and millet have been devastated.

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Farmers in the areas now lament that they have practically nothing to harvest later in the year.

Usman Danjuma, an Agricultural Economist in Minna, said the flooding could worsen the current cost of living as the prices of food might go up.

Farmers in Logo, Guma, Gwer-West,Agatu,Kwande, Makurdi ,Ado, Okpokwu, Otukpo,Buruku and  Katsina Ala local government areas of Benue State have also suffered huge losses caused by the flooding.

The affected farms are located along the banks of the Benue River  which usually overflows its banks at this time of the year.

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The State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA) has embarked on an awareness campaign to educate farmers on the   prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) of  more rains this year.

Professor of Agronomy at J.S Tarka University, Makurdi, Daniel Agenda, called for the dredging of River Benue to enable it to absorb more  flood water, saying this would go a long way in saving farms along the banks of the river from incessant flooding.

Over 3,000 displaced from Kaduna agrarian communities

Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Usman Hayatu-Mazadu, said in Kaduna that 3,633 people have been displaced by floods in  five agrarian communities in Zango Kataf Local Government Area.

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The North-West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA  Imam Garki said the recent flooding in  Fadan Tsoho, Zonzon, Zangon Kataf, Unguwan Wakili, and Zonkwa communities swept away farmlands and  livestock.

An Agricultural  Economist in the state , Mr Benjamin Kemje, asked government to assist farmers to recoup their losses, otherwise, they would increase food prices to make up for their losses.

Jigawa  and Zamfara states  have also been badly hit by the flooding.

Incidentally, many of the northern states are considered Nigeria’s food basket.

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Last Friday’s rainfall in Zamfara seems to have only added to an already bad situation.

Like the earlier ones, the last rain left  many parts  of the state submerged and the residents helpless.

Many houses in Samaru area of Gusau and Gengerin Maigemu were taken over by flood.

Flood destroyed 1,650 houses in 2 towns in Yobe, says SEMA

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Floods triggered by days of torrential rain, destroyed 1,650 houses in Jajere and Yunusari towns of Yobe,according to the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Mohammed Goje.

Goje told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu that a total of 413 households in the areas were displaced by the latest flash flood.

Goje said that a final assessment on the destruction caused by yet another flood in Yusufari, Wagir, Mutai Chirokusko, Bade and Potiskum towns was ongoing.

“ SEMA is conducting daily review meetings to assess the situation, update stakeholders and come up with immediate response plan in line with vulnerabilities of affected locations and resources available on ground,” he said.

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Flood destroys 2517 houses,1000 hectares of farmland in Gombe – SEMA

The flood was equally devastating in Gombe State  where the SEMA said 2,517 houses and shops were either completely or partially destroyed in  33 communities.

The Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, Mr Ibrahim Nalado, named the affected communities as Dukku, Funakaye and Billiri Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.

On the impact of flooding on farmlands, the deputy director said Hina community in Yamaltu/Deba LGA of the state was the worst-hit.

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He said that no less than 1,000 hectares of rice, maize, sorghum and millet farmlands were submerged in water.

The deputy director stated that his team visited Hina community on Friday, Aug. 30, to assess the level of damage.

Nalado described the impact of the flooding as ‘huge and devastating’ in view of the vast area affected.

“Farmers were getting ready to harvest their crops.

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“The farmers were so worried but because it was a natural phenomenon, they accepted it in good faith,” he said.

The deputy director stated that data on the number of farmers affected by the flood were being collated at Hina.

Nalado stated that his agency had assessed the level of damage, but were compiling the reports to forward to the state government and other relevant agencies.

He, however, said that the level of damage on farmlands at Hina,  would take collective efforts of both the state and the Federal Government  to address.

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Just in: Tinubu exposes those behind deadly stampedes

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President Bola Tinubu has accused organisers for the deadly stampedes that occurred during the distribution of relief materials in three states.

Recall in the past week, chaotic scenes in Ibadan, Anambra and Abuja led to the deaths of over 60 people, including children, as crowds scrambled for food items.

During a Presidential Media Chat on Monday, Tinubu described the events as a critical failure in planning and execution.

Condolences to those who lost a family member, but it is good to give. I have been giving out food stuff, commodities, etc. in Bourdillon.

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“I am an organized person and that’s why I have been giving people food for the past 25 years and no incident has happened.

“Let this tragedy not affect us”, the Nigerian leader said.

The president also said he has no plans to reduce his cabinet or sack more ministers.

For the controversial tax reform bills, he said it has come to stay.

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He also revealed he has no regrets removing fuel subsidy.

He declared utmost confidence in his security chiefs saying over the past decades, wanton killings has reduced drastically.

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Tinubu To Hold Maiden Presidential Media Chat Tonight

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President Bola Tinubu will hold first presidential chat since assuming office on Monday night.

Accoding to a statement released by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the chat will be broadcast at 9 p.m. on the stations of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

All television and radio stations are requested to hook up to the broadcast.

“The first Presidential Media Chat with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be broadcast at 9 p.m. on Monday, December 23, on the Nigerian Television Authority and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

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“All television and radio stations are requested to hook up to the broadcast,” the statement.

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‘Putin waiting to meet me as soon as possible’ to end Ukraine war – Trump

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The US President-elect took to the stage AmFest in Phoenix to talk about his contact with the Russian leader.

He told the crowd: “President Putin has said he want to meet with me as soon as possible.”

Trump went on to brand the war “horrible” and stated it needed to end. It is not known whether or not this meeting will take place in person. His comments at the event in the US come as Putin met with another world leader.

Putin held talks in the Kremlin today (December 22) with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA agency that the talks would focus on “the international situation” and Russian natural gas deliveries.

Visits and phone calls from European leaders to Putin have been rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, although Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban visited Russia in July. Orban’s visit drew condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.Fico’s views on Russia’s war on Ukraine differ sharply from most other European leaders. The Slovakian PM returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO.

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