1 month ago
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The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission has assured Kogi State residents affected by the recent floods that it has deployed its officials across the affected nine local government areas affected by the flood in the state to carry out a Needs Assessment for flood-affected communities.
The N-HYPPADEC’s Director, Finance and Administration and Kogi State Team Lead and Team Lead for the ongoing Needs Assessment ongoing in the State for Flood Communities, Mr. Jimoh Haruna Gabi gave the assurance while fielding questions from newsmen in Lokoja.
The N-HYPPADEC’s director who maintained that the Commission is with the residents in times of hardship and at all times, particularly in these trying moments explained that currently it has deployed men across the affected nine Local Government Areas affected by the flood in the State to carry out a Needs Assessment for Flood affected communities
Gabi pointed out that the Commission will, after it needs assessment, relate with the citizens directly, further assuring that the Commission feels the pain of people affected by the 2024 flood in Kogi State.
He disclosed that the needs assessment by the Commission is with the view to making intervention as desired by the people, even as the Commission continue to feel their pulse and the pains of the people affected.
In his words of encouragement, Mr. Gabi maintained, “We are with the people affected by the flooding in the nine out of the 21 local government areas that constitute Kogi State. The Commission is with them.
“However, we advise them to endeavour to move to higher grounds because their safety is more paramount to the Commission.”
He disclosed that the N-HYPPADEC will be more articulate in defining and making pronouncements of what is the required needs of the people, pointing out that the intervention would be geared towards improving their living standards, even as the Commission remains a partner in progress to the state.
Gabi who also stressed that the Commission had earlier embarked on a nation-wide sensitisation campaign advising people living within flood prone areas to move upland, disclosed that the Needs Assessment exercise is currently ongoing in 513 communities for the deployment of intervention efforts.
“The aim of the exercise is to look at infrastructures that are lacking. Those that are decayed. Others that require renovation or not there at all for the Commission to provide. We will only give what the Communities require,” he said.
The Commission Director expressed appreciation that unlike in the past when flood usually cut off vehicular movements along the KotonKarfe, said the intervention of the Akpankiti Community through an erosion control it embarked upon has yielded result as the road was not flooded.
“The KotonKarfe project is one of our star projects. In 2022, the road was cut off. We went to the drawing board and discovered that it was caused by the drainage. We surveyed from the source and, with enriched engineering design, built a drainage system that can properly address the flood in the Kogi LGA, which usually leads to the road being cut off.
“Today, we are happy that the road is motorable and the people are sleeping with their eyes closed as a result of the intervention.”
He disclosed that it has since the commencement of its operations in the state been able to intervene in the areas of education, security, economic activities, agriculture, just as it has also given lifelines to victims of flood.
“In education, in all the ten N-HYPPADEC LGAs, we built two primary schools of three rooms and six toilet facilities. We also provided tables and chairs. Pupils study materials like exercise books and laptops and provided mini solar lighting to improve the lighting of the surroundings as well as introduced power banks to schools.
“The Commission also intervened in the areas of payment of school fees in tertiary institutions to the tune of N25m for indigent students in FUL, PAAU, and other tertiary institutions in the state.”
Gabi added that the Commission handed over hand water pump boreholes in villages to address the water needs of the people where the people are having water challenges.
Through its Youth Transformation program, the Commission, Gabi, explained that “the Commission has trained over 5000 youths in different locations and in the process given out stipends ranging from N15,000 to N10000 to get training.
“In the couple of weeks, we will give out starter packs. We also facilitated the registration of businesses with the CAC, where the cost of registration was reduced.
In the area of security, Gabi said, “the Commission distributed motorcycles to security agencies and vigilante groups to help curb insecurity.
“We also tried to secure operators on the water bodies with life jackets to help secure the safety of lives and properties in the water transportation.
“The Commission took a step further to introduce boats to some operators, having noticed that some of the boats were obsolete and unrepaired. We launched new flying boats with Kogi State, benefitting four numbers.
“The Commission also rendered medical outreach to Riverine Communities and indigenes of the N-HYPPADEC communities,” he further highlighted.
The Commission Gabi noted has illuminated communities with solar street lights, built houses to serve as resettlements in some flood LGAs and communities, disclosing further that the housing project is already ongoing in Bassa LGA.
N-HYPPADEC, the director, asserted sponsored the commissioner’s of agriculture from the concerned states to Thailand to understudy what the advanced country is doing in utilising agriculture, particularly in the production of rice using the flood plains. This, he explained, is geared towards ensuring food security.
Similarly, “the Commission intends to equip farmers with light machines to improve on their out put as well as enrich the soil with the of support of fertilisers.
Our massive investment in agriculture is one that is visible,” he remarked.
Towards assisting flood affected persons, Gabi said the Commission has greatly supported with relief materials to flood affected communities, assuring that the Commission is working to meet with the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the Kogi State.
