Former Senate President David Mark has lamented what he described as monumental misery caused by flooding in his home state, Benue.

Senator Mark accordingly urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, help the state out of the present predicament of flood disaster that has ravaged parts of the state.

Mark spoke through a statement released by his media assistant on Sunday in which he described the disaster as “monumental”, saying: “Thousands of citizens have been rendered homeless as hundreds of houses and other property were submerged by the flood largely influenced by the torrential rainfall.

“I therefore urge the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to intervene by bringing relief materials for the thousands of citizens already displaced by the flood and I also enjoin organisations and good spirited individuals to render assistance to the flood ravaged communities in the state.”

Admonishing the government and people of the state, Mark said: “I however counselled citizens to adhere strictly to town planning rules and regulations for buildings as part of measures to prevent re-occurrence of such disaster.”

He also noted that “Benue State was one of the states ravaged by flood in the 2012 disaster believed to have been orchestrated by the release of water from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroun.”