…orders for immediate palliatives assistance to victims
From Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu BAUCHI
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has today pay a sympathy visit to the five affected communities in Cheledi village of Kirfi local government area councils.
Speaking to journalists shortly after assessment of damages at the communities, the governor assured the people of the area of his administration desire to bring a lasting solution over the matter in the area.
Governor Mohammed who was ably represented by the Honourable Commissioners of Housing and Environment, Hon. Danlami Ahmed Kawule said the Flood response team has identified six water channels that usually falls down from the a nearby mountain and covers the town assures present action will be the lasting solution to the problem
The governor ordered for immediate palliatives support to the affected victims of food and non food items to cushion their effects.
He asked them to take it as an act of God Almighty and accept it in good faith as a Muslims.
Also speaking, the Honourable Commissioners for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajara Yakubu Wanka said, the governor is seriously concern over the incessant flooding ravaging the area and promised to bring a lasting solution to the problem.
Wanka, said that the delegation were assigned by the governor to come and assess all the damages and report back to him for necessary action.
According to her, “After taking all the data of houses, farm lands and other valuable items been damaged by the flooding, the delegation would come back in few days with food and non food items to distribute to the affected victims at their respective communities”,.
Earlier in his welcome addressed, the Kirfi local government chairman, Honourable Abdulkadir Umar Dewu thanked the Governor for his quick response by sending a powerful delegation to assess the level of damage done by the flooding in the communities.
Dewu, said most of the affected victims sleeved at mosques, schools and neighbours houses due to the heavy rain and appeal to the State Governor to procure a befitting piece of land and allocate to them to move there.
“A heavy rainfall on Wednesday which started at 7 pm lasted till around 11.30 pm leading to serious flooding that washed away houses, domestic animals, harvested food stuff and other belongings”,.
He equally used the period warned the people to avoid building on waterways as well as to leave the prone areas as was been advised by experts.
The district head of Kirfi, Muhammad Lada Kirfi, urges the people to accept and obey all advised given by the State Government especially those that are within the waterways to save life’s of their families.
He thanked the Governor for his prompt action to rescue the communities over the hardship situation.
In his response, the Director General of Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) Dr Ibrahim Kabir said already the government has two planning in the area with a view to mitigate the persistent flooding into the communities.
Corroborating, the State House of Assembly member representing Kirfi, Barrister Habibu Umar also appealed to the Governor for urgent intervention to the affected victims.
Barr Umar, said most of the affected victims don’t have shalter now and anything to cook to feed their families as well as others non food items respectively.
Similarly, the representative of the five communities, Sani Adamu Cheledi lamenting that the people will never sleep when ever the saw a dark clouds from the sky because of the flooding.
He appealed to the government to come to their aids and proper a lasting solution to the problem before its too late.
Kabir said “The water will be diverted to another direction and the rivers will also evacuated to same as reservoir for people and animal consumptions to the communities in the area.
Other majors to be taken include construction of two solar boreholes and to deploy a team of medical experts in case of cholera and others diseases outbreak in the communities.
Interview with some of the affected victims Peaceful Gidado and Haruna Muhammad said that long-term measures is worthwhile because they only slept with one eye close, especially during rainfalls.
They however, prayed that this time effort by the present Administration should be the last solution in averting the future reoccurrence of flooding in those areas
Our correspondent reports that the affected communities were; Garin Riban Garmu, Lumi, Paga, Badara and Guyaba villages in Cheledi.
