.
By Umar Yunusa
The residents of Mokwa, a town in Niger State, North-central Nigeria, would not look forward to the rainy season with much eagerness.
This is due to the deadly erosion suffered at the slightest rainfall and how this has led to a loss of properties, animals, and other valuable items in the community.
During such times, the residents around Etisheshi, Angwa Hausawa, and other affected areas of the community do not get the luxury of safety or sleeping in good shape.
One of the residents in Ya’afu under the Etisheshi area simply identified as Alhaji Saba lamented that poor leadership in the area has led to poor development.
According to him, at the time of building his house, there was nothing like erosion in this area. It was flat but the absence of waterways changed their fate.
” It was when general hospital drainage was forced to face here (the community) that the gully erosion started”, Saba added
“When it rained that year, it destroyed a large number of houses as the victims have now become homeless.
Saba claimed that the government remained present in the area, noting that government officials from Minna and other places come around to take stock of losses and know those who would be compensated by the government for loss of properties.
Another resident in the area, Moh’d Bala Abubakar, said despite several visits by the government, there is usually no result to show for such development.
“For several times, Government officials usually visit the eyesore of the erosion yet their visit yields no result.
Abubakar who personally lost properties to the situation said when such occurrence happens, they cannot access their property for safety purposes while many are usually found in a nearby forest.
“When our building collapsed, flooding swallowed our properties. At times, we have to buy new ones or search for the lost properties in the forest.
This development is despite a visit by their representative at the National Assembly, Ahmed Abu, Non Governmental organizations among others.
Also, he implored the government to come to their aid.
A former councillor of Mokwa central, Hon. Umaru Ibrahim who is popularly known as ” Ebamama” said, it is now ten years that flooding has made here a permanent home
“The previous administration of Ahmed Abu sent an NGO to survey the area because it was approved until his tenure elapses, thing nothing was done.
“Also, The present federal lawmaker, Usman Gbatamangi, sent people to take pictures of the erosion yet nothing is done also.
“Another NGO surveyed here last year, promised that work would commence six months later, after dates elapsed, another group of people also came to construct a “culvert” for people to cross to the other sides.”
“If another rain comes now, it will be difficult for us to pass the wooden bridge. With every rainfall, it expands.” Ibrahim revealed.
Deputy Director of works department in Mokwa, Suleiman G. Abubakar, when contacted said the council has done a lot because there is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which both federal and state government collaborated to help the community.
He stressed that Mokwa is one of the communities to benefit from the intervention project of erosion control.
“They (NGO) came to do sensitization with affected areas like Etisheshi, Kpege and other affected places in the community
“We are waiting for project execution, also NGOs like Africa Youth empowerment were engaged to carry out mobilization and how a project should be taken care of.
He added that few members within the community were trained.
The training session was completed last December but the Covid-19 pandemic hindered the commencement of empowerment.
Also Read: Conflicting orders making our job difficult —INEC
When asked how to tackle the menace in collaboration with the Federal and government.
” Erosion control is a gigantic project that not all council can handle independently unless, with an effort of other tiers of government, Abubakar said
He emphasized that the previous administration started control of erosion while the ministry of environment intervened and engaged NewMap and AYEAID.
It was gathered that the New map budgeted over 2 billion to control erosion of Mokwa but the fund was supposed to come from a foreign body together with the world bank.
Abubakar recounted how a child fell into the erosion earlier and how they pleaded with residents to relocate.
Blaming paucity of funds, he noted that the council finds it difficult to provide amenities for the affected victims as the salary of some workers is found difficult to pay.
He lamented that since this administration came on board, they lack funds.
The post How Niger residents lose homes, properties to agelong erosion appeared first on Vanguard News.
0 Commentaires