Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, said climate change was real and that nothing confirmed his position better than the flooding that follows heavy rain around the world
He, therefore, called on the federal government to initiate humanitarian assistance for flood victims across the country.
Atiku, in a statement, said Climate change was real, explained the flooding that has followed torrential downpours in towns and villages in Nigeria – like other places around the globe, confirms this.
He stressed that the damage that has been occasioned on account of the floods were troubling, as public social facilities like schools and hospitals had been impacted.
The PDP presidential hopeful said it might be safe to say, however, that no one carries the burden of flooding like Nigerian farmers.
According to him, media reports abound of swathes of farmlands and food crops being washed away.
“The consequence of these losses by our farmers will be felt by all of us. Any hope of a bumper harvest is now diminished. This will further add to misery in our towns and villages and in our cities as food prices continue to soar.
“I share in the pains of the victims of these flooding incidents, including communities that their local healthcare centers, markets and schools have been destroyed. Or, even individuals, who have been displaced. I also condole with those, who have lost their loved ones.
“Therefore, I urge governments at all levels to unveil a special humanitarian assistance programme to provide immediate succour to the affected communities. These unfortunate incidents should be a wake-up call to the urgency of our responsiveness to the issues of climate change and global warming.
“It is a clarion call that non-governmental organisations must equally harken to and place the focus of their advocacy on sensitising the vulnerable public on how to manage and mitigate disasters of global warming,” he stated