Floods force members of Kogi State House of Assembly to flee from their residential quarters

MEMBERS of the Kogi State House of Assembly have been forced to leave their residential quarters in the capital Lokoja after their apartment buildings located in Ganaja village were flooded over the weekend.

Kogi State has 26 lawmakers who have lived in a purpose-build estate in Ganaja since 2013 from where they drive to the state house of assembly complex every day. This weekend, however, the complex has been totally flooded forcing members to vacate their houses overnight.

Also, several roads leading to the estate have been cut off, making it impossible for motorists and people to reach it from other parts of the state. As of yesterday, no one could access Ganaja village without using a canoe or boat to cross the flooded area, forcing commuters to use another route to Lokoja and beyond.

With the Nigerian rainy season yet to abate, the lawmakers are not expected to be able to return to their apartments for a few weeks at least. Nigeria's rainy season generally lasts until the end of October, so there are fears that the Kogi State House of Assembly may not be able to sit until the start of next month.