Owing to the Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Special Adviser on Environment and Physical Development to the Governor of Kogi State has advised residents of the State to be mindful of the 2014 SRP which also indicates that Kogi is expected to experience “below normal rainfall”. The total length of rainy season for 2014 in Kogi State has been predicted to be 210 days.
The Special Adviser, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, further stated that as predicted by the NiMet, Lokoja would experience a short period of drought between the months of July and August 2014. Consequently, she has advised that farmers in Kogi State should endeavour to plant drought resistant crops, whilst taking advantage of the early rains to plant early maturing crops which will be ready for harvest within the short rainy season being expected.
She further reminded Kogites that owing to the “warmer than normal” temperatures predicted for some parts of the country, Kogi inclusive, residents should try as much as possible to adequately ventilate their homes to prevent an outbreak of heat related diseases such as meningitis. She also cautioned that in order to forestall the outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea, residents of the State should avoid the indiscriminate dumping of solid waste in drainages and water channels, in order to allow for free flow of water. She equally called on the PHCN to double-check their power distribution facilities within Kogi State to ensure that they are strong enough to withstand the expected stormy weather in 2014 in order to avert electrocution related deaths. She further advised residents to be mindful of their roofs; ensuring that they are firmly in place, considering the strong winds associated with rainfall nowadays.
Finally, the Special Adviser described the rainfall of Saturday night (April 12, 2014), which was accompanied by severe winds, leading to the destruction of PHCN installations and residential buildings and places of worship, as unfortunate; she equally assured the people of Kogi State that everything is being done within the meager resources available to the State, to ensure that the ugly incident of September 2012, which brought untold hardship on the people of the State, is averted.
