President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N2 billion for the immediate reconstruction of homes for victims of the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this announcement during a visit to the affected community in Mokwa town, located in Mokwa Local Government Area, on Wednesday.
He assured the residents that the federal government would take necessary steps to address the concerns raised by the victims of the flood disaster.
“The president specifically instructed me to come to Mokwa to commiserate with the people over the tragedy that befell the town. His heart is with the grieving people of Mokwa.
“All issues raised will be addressed by the federal government in collaboration with the Niger government,” he said.
Shettima further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the ministers of environment and state for agriculture to temporarily relocate to Niger State to ensure immediate intervention under the ACRSAL project to tackle drainage problems in Mokwa.
Additionally, he said the president had approved the delivery of 20 trucks of food items to be distributed to verified victims in partnership with the village head of Mokwa.
He praised the efforts of the Deputy Governor and the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their swift response to the situation.
In his remarks, Deputy Governor Mr. Yakubu Garba urged the federal government to respond quickly to mitigate the disaster’s impact.
“We are saddened as a state due to the flood disaster; we commend NEMA DG for promptly responding to the disaster.
“We need quick intervention, as the four collapsed bridges have cut down social and economic activities, especially in Rabba, as students cannot come to Mokwa when there’s rainfall; the bridge needs to be fixed,” he said.
Garba noted that over 2,000 houses had been destroyed, leaving victims to shelter with others. He added that the state government had land available for housing reconstruction.
Also speaking, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, appealed to the federal government to step in and complete several stalled road projects in Mokwa and other parts of the state.
“There is an ongoing road project bypassing Mokwa town, but because of compensation, the work has stopped. We appeal to the FG to fast-track the project, as it’s making life unbearable for the people,” he said.
He also called on the federal government to complete the Mokwa-Brini-Gwari Kaduna road, Lambata-Bida road, Bida-Patigi road, and Agaie-Match Boro roads and requested the deployment of an ecological team to address environmental challenges in the area. He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for sending the vice president to personally commiserate with the flood victims.
The village head of Mokwa, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu (Ndalile of Mokwa), also expressed appreciation to the federal government for its continued support following the disaster. (NAN)
