The Convener of the Big Tent Coalition of Political Parties, Civil Society Organisations and Social Movements, Prof. Pat Utomi, has revealed the movement plans to mobilise humanitarian aid for flood victims nationwide.
Utomi, who is a professor of political economy and leader of the Third Force political coalition made this known in a statement on Monday in Lagos..
He supports the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi and his running mate, Sen. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed
The statement was signed by Mr Charles Odibo, the Head, Big Tent For Obi/Baba Ahmed Campaign Communiccation Directorate.
Utomi, while addressing a global network of ‘Obidents’ (supporters of Mr Peter Obi) across the world in a zoom meeting made the remark.
He said that the movement has moral obligation to mobilise and channel energies, material and medical resources to alleviate the plight of victims of the current flooding across the country.
According to him, up to 700 people had died so far in 2022 as a result of flooding in Nigeria.
Utomi urged the government not to ignore the rampaging disaster.
He said that the governments should have implemented recommendations made over the years against flooding.
He, however urged the government to treat the flood disaster as a national emergency.
I want to empathise with all who have lost dear ones and the many more whose property, including life long investments have been lost to the floods.
With pain I recall haven served on a committee set up by the Delta Government on the effect of flooding a decade ago. I not only served on that committee but canvassed civil society and corporate CSR involvement.
Utomi said he has also organised a Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) emergency response initiative, sending truckloads of mattresses, food items and in additition to consumables largely from my corporate friends at a personal level.
I followed up with personal visits to communities along the Gongola River in Adamawa , my Native Delta and Anambra where I collaborated with the Catholic Archdiocese of Onisha, visiting IDP camps in the company of the Archbishop of Onisha Dr. Valerian Maduka Okeke, he added.
According to Utomi, Obi rose in his evaluation when in 2012 he ran into him in Florida when the then incumbent Governor of Anambra, was on his way to Haiti as a humanitarian volunteer worker following a natural disaster there.
He encouraged all Nigerians to show care to their challenged neighbours because in solidarity our humanity is elevated.
The leader of the National Consultative Front (NCFront), Utomi said he had made series of suggestions on how the nation could avert the outcome of climate change, which he feared then could be a seasonal issue for the future.
However, he said that not much plan was made to avert future flooding through a network of Dams that would capture floodwaters for all season farming and irrigation.
We have an imperative of seriousness in the new world that involves anticipating problem and preventing problems we can foresee from deepening our misery to rise as citizens to heal the wound of the floods.
Nigeria must set about constructing a network of Dams down the Niger and Benue Rivers.
Such can help us capture these flood waters that currently devastate lives and convert them into services of all season irrigation for farming all year round.
He lauded the doctors and medics for Peter Obi, for the mission they had in Delta, where they offered medical assistance to flood plains in the state.
Also, Utomi commended the input of Dr Lorretta Ogboro-Okor, who led the Health Deep dive team in the Big Tent Policy and future view shadow group, on how to prevent the floods from becoming a health care epidemic and disaster.