Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, yesterday, inspected communities and farmlands affected by flood disasters in Patigi Local Government of the state with an appeal to the Federal Government to as matter of urgency extend the dredging of River Niger to Jebba and beyond.
The Governor who was on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas lamented the reoccurrence of flood disasters in the state and emphasised that the incident required permanent solution in the interest of those that lost their belongings to the disaster.
Ahmed who sympathised with the Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Chatta Umar and the victims confirmed that the level of devastation is beyond what the state government could shoulder.
He however called on the FG to fast track palliative measures to cushion the effects of damages on the victims.
“It becomes imperative that the FG as a matter of urgency accelerate and extend dredging of River Niger from Toro where it stops to Jebba and beyond.
“The dredging will not only improve the sources of income of residents who majorly peasant farmers but also safeguard their lives from recurring flood disasters,” Ahmed said.
He assured the victims of immediate succour to temporarily ameliorate the effects of the damages but called on the President to as matter of urgency come to the aide of the victims.
Earlier, the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA), Engr. Mustapha Yinusa Mai Haja said the agency was deployed to Kwara due to flood disaster that wrecked havoc in some parts of the country with Kwara inclusive.
The DG who spoke through the Director, Disaster, Risk management and Reduction, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Mohammed explained they were in-charge of Niger, Kebbi also stated that the team set up its Emergency Operational Centre in Kwara due to the level of devastation in the state.
In his remarks, the Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Umar expressed gratitude to the governor for the visit and requested for permanent solution to the frequent flood disaster in his domain.
The monarch who recounted lost of his subjects, told the governor that more than 100 houses and farmlands were submerged by flood and rendered thousands of people homeless.
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