The Senate on Thursday called on the federal government to hasten assistance to states affected by last weekend's flood.
The call followed a motion by Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos) on the need to provide support to the state following the flooding that killed 29 people and destroyed buildings and roads.
The Senate president, David Mark, in turn criticised emergency agencies for responding too slowly and too late to natural disasters.
He said that in such cases, the federal government should declare states of emergency and deploy the military for search and rescue operations.
He, however, added that a state of emergency does not necessarily mean the removal of the state governor, as is popularly "misconstrued." The Senate observed a minute silence for the victims of the flood and asked the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to "urgently repair affected federal roads" in both Lagos and other states hit by floods.
The Senate took notes of flood disasters in Kano, Katsina, Ogun, and Oyo States and asked that these states be assisted to help them recover fast from the disaster.
"Some federal roads, particularly the Abeokuta expressway, collapsed in three places thereby hampering the movement of people in and out of Lagos and that axis of the South West," Mr Solomon, the sponsor of the motion said.
"The Apapa-Oshodi expressway was also flooded and is in danger of collapse and therefore requires attention," he added.
National calamity
Mr Solomon added that several ships also lost anchor in the flood and have compounded the problem. The Senate, therefore, asked the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to remove all wrecked ships on the coast of Lagos.
"It is a national calamity," Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu State) said, adding that the flood was aggravated by human error that led to the blockade of drainages.
Some senators, however, likened the Sunday rain to the biblical great flood which they said affected the whole nation.
Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom) told reporters outside the Senate chambers that the flood was a spiritual consequence of Lagos state's reclamation of some parts of the Atlantic Ocean.
"The water is taking back its land," Mr Enang said.
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