Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to Nigerians to always heed early flood warning instructions by relevant government agencies in the country.

He made the statement on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.

“It is important that our people listen and immediately comply with early-warning alerts and forecast by government bodies in order to save lives and property from wanton destruction.

“As the saying goes, ‘a stitch in time saves nine,” the President was quoted as saying in the statement.

He stressed the need to comply with instructions intended to avert the negative consequences of such natural occurrences in the country, without further hesitation.

President Buhari was reacting to an updated brief by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on the magnitude of the havoc wreaked by flash foods, rainstorm, windstorm and fire incidents in the country.

He sympathised with the families of victims who lost their lives, as well as those whose property perished in the incidents.

In order to ameliorate the negative effects of these natural and in some cases, avoidable disasters, the President directed NEMA to immediately provide relief assistance to the affected persons and communities in all the geo-political zones of the country.