Traditional rulers, council chairmen urged to sensitize communities ahead flooding

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Hydro Power Producing Area Development Commission HYPPADEC, has called on the traditional leaders and local government Chairmen in the affected flooding Communities to begun the sensitization of the grassroot ahead of pending 2023 flooding in the country.
The Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa made the appeal at the 2023 Stakeholders Meeting on Flood Mitigation and other Related Issues in Niger state, saying that the plan is not to mitigate but to prevent catastrophe from occurring.
Sadiq Yelwa added that sensitization of the people on environmental matters was crucial in mitigating the impact of flooring hence the results of the program last year which has reduced the rate of flood casualty as recorded previously.
He called for attitudinal change of the people of the flood affected communities of insisting on remaining in their original homes despite the negative threats hence to take advantage of the river to boost their socio economic development.
The Secretary to the State Government SSG, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environmental, said the flooding has caused a lot of negative impact on communities, lives and properties in the state, hence the partnership to mitigate the impact of flooding.
Niger State ALGON chairman, Suleiman Yerima applauded the commission’s numerous stride thus far while calling for more interventions in sectors to include health, education, security and agriculture among others.
In his remarks, Mokwa local government chairman, Abdullahi Jibrin Muregi lamented over decades of destruction of lives and property by flood especially during 2012 and 2022 in no fewer than 17 local government areas in Niger state.
Muregi who commended the HYPPADEC and federal government for its establishment however lamented over the impact of flooring on the affected community people, called for a genuine partnership to mitigate the impact of flooring on the citizens.