…Laments loss of lives in Niger, Kebbi

…Says 634 communities, 30,000 farmlands affected in Benue

…6,959 households, 10,000 farmlands affected in Kebbi

By Wole Mosadomi

The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, N-HYPPADEC, has raised the alarm over wanton destruction of lives and property by flood in member states, begging the Federal Government to declare state of emergency on flood-ravaged states to reduce its impact.

The Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, at a briefing in Minna, Niger State, said eight lives had already been lost in two states; communities submerged, hectares of farmlands washed away in other states among other calamities.

According to him, most of the member states are prone to  flooding due to  their locations and electricity generation activities taking place in some of the states such as Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Gombe, Taraba, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Benue, Kebbi and Plateau states.

Yelwa lamented that while seven lives had been lost in Niger State, another one lost in Kebbi State to the severe flooding in the past few weeks.

Similarly, he informed that 634 communities have been affected in Benue State with about 30,000 farmlands washed away  while in Kebbi State, 6,959 households have been affected with 10,000 farmlands washed away in various communities in the past few weeks.

He said “seven people have been swept away in two local government areas of Mashegu and Magama local government areas of Niger state while unspecified hectares of land have also been washed away in some communities within the same local government while one life has also been lost in Kebbi state within the last few weeks. The situation is similar in Gombe, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kaduna but did not declare the extent of devastation in these states.

“Three major bridges on Federal Highways have also been affected and they include Mayo-Kam and Jalingo Wukari bridges in Taraba State as well as Manyara Bridge at Sabon-Pegi Kwatachi on New Bussa Federal Highway.

“Unspecified number of other critical infrastructure such as culverts and flood drains, schools and health centers has equally been affected across the Commission’s areas of operations.”

Yelwa disclosed that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has already declared that this year alone, flood has so far claimed no fewer than 200 lives, displaced over 208, 000 people in 28 states across the country while many homes and farm lands have also been washed away.

“It is important here to note that, 80 percent of the worst hit states are N-HYPPADEC member states and this can be attributed to poor infrastructure, failure to follow environmental guidelines and ineffective dams management because there were few cases recorded from torrential rainfall in some states.

“As a Commission, we have played a significant role in containing the menace of incessant flooding by executing critical flood and erosion control projects and this include the 625 meters hydraulic drainage system at Koton Karfe, Kogi State, 1.2 kilometre hydraulic drainage system and another 2.5 kilometre desilting on dyke flood plain in Benue State, flood control dykes and retaining walls in Yauri, Kebbi State and Patigi erosion control project in Kwara State.

“This is in addition to about 500 flood victims’ resettlement housing schemes under construction in Niger, Kogi, Kwara and Kebbi states.”