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Gov Jonah Jang of Plateau on Friday commended National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its quick assistance to flood victims in parts of the state.
Jang, who gave the commendation when he visited Shendam in Plateau south and other areas affected by the disaster, declared that such efficiency was worth emulating.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that the flood claimed no fewer than 40 persons, and displaced 10,000 persons.
He called on other stakeholders to assist the victims in their hour of need.
The governor said that bridges destroyed by the flood would be repaired after a thorough assessment of the damage on them.
“We shall take a critical assessment of the damage before reconstructing them so as to avoid a recurrence,’’ he said.
He advised the engineers handling some of the bridges against narrowing their work because the rivers had always overflown their banks.
Jang said that spaces around the bridges should be expanded and the lengths of the bridges extended.
“I am not an engineer but rather than fill just the spaces, it is better for the bridge to be widened so that when we have flood again, the water would have wider areas to manipulate than being forced to a narrow gauge. ’’
Jang said that most of the bridges destroyed were on Federal Roads and called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene as some parts of state were cut off from others. (NAN)