Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa at a press conference.
Yelwa: With proper articulation, flooding could be a blessing in disguise if the relevant authorities act wisely and timely as irrigatiion outlets
By Mohammed Usman
The Managing Director (MD) of National-Hydro Electric Power Producting Areas Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare emergency on flood control and related vices as more communities risk being washed away.
Yelwa also advised relevant government agencies to leverage on the positive sides of the flooding in some states by creating irrigation outlets along the water corridors and riverline communities to boost their fishing businesses.
The N-HYPPADEC boss made the appeal while briefing journalists on the recent flooding which claimed seven lives and properties worth millions of Naira in some riverline communities in Niger State.
He said that the level of devastation caused by the flooding demands declaration of a state of emergency by the Presidency.
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His words: “Nearly 200 lives lost; 208, 000 people in 28 of the 36 states of the federation were washed away; including many homes and farmlands.”
While calling for a holistic approach to tackling flooding, Yelwa said, “It is important to note that 80% of the worst hit states are N-HYPPADEC member-states as a result of their location and electricity generation activities”.
He said, “Preliminary reports from our officers revealed that in Benue State so far 634 communities had been affected with nearly 30, 000 farmlands washed away.
“In Kebbi State, 6, 959 households have been affected with about 10, 000 farmlands washed away”.
Yelwa also lamented that flooding could hamper the federal government’s food security if not properly controlled, adding, however, that with proper articulation, flooding could be a blessing in disguise if the relevant authorities act wisely and timely as irrigatiion outlets along corridors and fishing could be harnessed.
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