Government forms panel on floods

Minister of State for the Environment Ime Okopido announced on Tuesday that the federal government had formed a panel to study the high incidence of floods in recent weeks in Nigeria, ‘The Guardian’ newspaper of Lagos reported. Okopido said at a news briefing that the panel would set up a national emergency plan and early warning system to prevent floods which, in the Niger Delta, have stemmed largely from the heaviest rains in 30 years. The government has promised to buy better scientific equipment to improve rainfall forecasts. Okopido said his ministry would liaise with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees (NCR) on the provision of relief material to inhabitants of flood-affected communities.