Flood submerges 150 villages in Niger
Niger State Governor, Alh. Abubakar Sani Bello has revealed that at least 150 communities in the state have been submerged in floodwater.
The Governor who stated this in Minna while speaking to Journalists, said 20 out of 25 local governments have been affected due to a heavy downpour.
He hinged the development on the opening of the spillway gates of the Kainji dam that spilt over 6000 metric litres of water every second as well as from the Shiroro and Jebba dams.
He lamented that the flood has washed away the N80 billion investment by Sunti Sugar company in the state leaving the staff and hundreds of farmers jobless.
Bello explained that the number of villages affected was the outcome of a report of four different committees sent around the state to assess the extent of the flood.
“Some people are reported to have died as a result of the incidents. And, We have been crying out but no one appears to be listening to us.”
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“This is beyond our capacity. We call for intervention from the federal government and International Agencies. We suggest the establishment of “Special Intervention Fund” to support the state in addition to asking the federal government to make the Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission a reality. I have already started consulting the governors of Kwara, Kebbi, and Kogi States on how to ensure the immediate takeoff of the Commission.”
Bello, however, called the attention of the Abuja Electricity Development Company AEDC on the light challenge consumers are confronted with, in the state, arguing that, “despite support from the government which include granting the Company loan, it has failed to provide meters to consumers and instead continues to give them estimated bills.”
“They AEDC says people are refusing to pay for electricity consumed but I say they are not refusing to pay because they cannot pay for what they did not consume”
On the road situation in the state, the Governor warned that if the federal government fails to honour its part of the bargain, he would be forced to shut down the roads and let heaven fall.
