Niger: Lawmakers call for state of emergency in flood ravaged areas

The Senators representing Niger East and South senatorial districts, Sani Musa and Bima Mohammed, have called on appropriate agencies to urgently create measures to put an end to the menace of flooding in their respective zones. Speaking during assessment visits to the flood ravaged areas in Bosso, Chanchaga and Katcha local government areas of the […]

The Senators representing Niger East and South senatorial districts, Sani Musa and Bima Mohammed, have called on appropriate agencies to urgently create measures to put an end to the menace of flooding in their respective zones.

Speaking during assessment visits to the flood ravaged areas in Bosso, Chanchaga and Katcha local government areas of the state, the lawmakers urged the federal government to declare state of emergency in flood prone areas across the state.

According to them, destructive rainstorm and flood have left tales of deaths and destruction yearly with farms and farmland, fisheries and houses submerged.

They said although major rivers and their tributaries aided the calamity which has become a reoccurring decimal, the activities of the three hydroelectric dams which spilled water at the peak of the season, further compound the situation.

The lawmakers maintained that because of the peculiarity of the state, it deserve special attention from the federal government, saying the ecological fund to the state should be increased, while also advocating for a deliberate measure to relocate communities downstream of the dams upland.

Our correspondent reports that flood had last week ravaged two local government areas of Bosso and Chanchaga which make up Minna town, even as it washed away bridges linking Bida with Katcha, Agaie and Lapai local government areas.

Senator Sani who commiserated with the affected people in Minna on Wednesday donated the sum of N5 million to them.

“I am appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Special Duties who is in charge of ecological issues to come to the aid of Niger state. I am also appealing to National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to as a matter of urgency come to the rescue of the people of Niger state especially the people in Minna,” he appealed.

Senator Musa also expressed fears that there could be an outbreak of cholera and other diseases, saying “there are every chances that people will be affected medically. You can see that the water they will use to cook, the river they depend on have become flooded and contaminated. For now, there is outbreak of cholera in Shiroro local government area.

Senator Bima also visited Katcha communities where he led his team to Gbakogi and inspected the collapsing bridge that connect them with Lafiyagi Kulli and Badeggi which was completed by late Governor, Engr Abdullahi Abdulkadir Kure.

Bima also inspected the three washed away bridges along Badeggi to Katcha road cutting off the communities along the route especially at Chado-Yegi, Ezhi- Woro and Ambero.