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Kebbi Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Yakubu Birnin Kebbi
By El-Yakub Dabai, Birnin Kebbi
About thirty people have lost their lives, 329, 000 houses destroyed and 858,000 hectares of arable farmlands submerged in 16 Local Government Areas of Kebbi State in the ongoing flood disaster across the nation.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Yakubu Birnin Kebbi, while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi described the disaster as a major challenge to food security that was obviously beyond the strength of the State Government, therefore requiring Federal Authorities’ intervention.
The Commissioner revealed that Kebbi State found itself in the dire situation because it was host to River Niger, River Rima and River Ka as well as threats from the released waters of Goronyo and Shagari Dams in Sokoto State.
He said the loss was so massive that there was the fear of an impending food shortage and possible hyperinflation that would definitely impart negatively on the lives of the common man in Nigeria unless positive measure was put in place by relevant stakeholders.
While promising to gather statistics of the damage for onward submission to National Emergency Management Agency for intervention, the Commissioner said Government had concluded arrangements to provide succour to the victims preparatory to dry season farming.
Ahmed Birnin Kebbi lamented the collosal loss but blamed it partly on the people building residences on waterways, incuring huge sums of money from the Government in providing relief materials, warning to impose stiff laws banning such constructions in the future.
The Commissioner said in the interim Government has been moving households away from waterways and riverine areas to safe highlands, calling on wealthy individuals to extend their benevolence to the victims to avert total collapse of families.
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