From Maiharaji Altine
The Chairman, House of Reps Committee On Ecological Funds, Honourable Dr Sani Jaji said, members of the committee would go round all the states affected by flooding and assess the situation for possible remedy.
Dr Jaji stated this in Dutse, the Jigawa state capital when members of the House of Representatives committee on ecological funds paid an oversight visit and inspection to the flood victims in the state on Monday.
He maintained that himself and members of his committee would go round all the states affected by flooding and assess the situation for possible remedy.
He emphasized that his committee would work round the clock to ensure that sustainable mitigation measures were provided to ensure that all states affected by flooding would be assisted to restore normalcy and hope among their vulnerable victims.
The committee’s chairman stressed that, his committee opted to visit Jigawa state to see things for themselves and see what the federal government can do to ameliorate their sufferings because according to him, the state was one of the frontline states affected by the flooding.
He said, “Jigawa state as one of frontline states affected by flooding, gully erosion, desertification and land degradation, hence the need for the committee to do all it can to offer solution to the problems confronting the people of the state is enormous”.
“The oversight visit was at the instance of the Jigawa state Governor Malam Ummaru Namadi in Dutse and other strategic places within the state”.
Jaji who described the tragedy that befell the people of Jigawa as shocking identified desertification, land degradation, climate change crisis as well as deforestation as the major social problems affecting some areas exposed to flooding in Nigeria every year.
He informed Governor Umaru Namadi that their committee would assist the state to have sustainable land management practice and climate change control measures in the state.
He thanked the Governor for the warmed reception accorded them while on the working visit to the state and pray for God almighty to grant him the wisdom to continue to explore better options for the transformation of the state.
Responding, Governor Malam Umar Namadi thanked the chairman of the committee and members for choosing Jigawa state as the first point of call, especially considering the impacts brought by frequent flood disasters almost on yearly basis.
The Governor informed the committee that for this year alone twenty-three out of twenty-seven local government areas of jigawa state were badly affected by the flood, adding that about (40,000) households were directly affected.
In addition, he said, (7000) houses were destroyed or submerged by the heavy rainfall, noting that about (6,500) farmlands were destroyed in the above-mentioned local government councils.
Linking the devastating consequences of the flooding, the Governor stated that close to (8000) people mostly households were displaced and taking refuge at several undesignated Internally Displaced Camps within the state.
Providing the internal measures put in place by the Jigawa State government to guard against frequent occurrence of the flood disaster, Governor Namadi stated that, his administration has championed the planting of 5.5 million trees within the state.
He called on the committee to come to the aid of Jigawa people, especially in supporting them with the measures that would help secure their environment against the factors stated above.
Highlight of the visit was direct assessment made by the Chairman and his committee members in places affected by the flood which includes, Dutse town, Kiyawa and Buji local government areas of the state.
