The member representing Lapai/Agaie federal constituency at the National Assembly, Honourable Abdullahi Mahmoud, weekend decried the perennial flooding of over 38 communities in Muye area of Niger state caused by river Gurara during rainy seasons.
Mahmoud stated this during an inspection visit to the villages ravaged by flood at the weekend.
He said, “The impacts of the flood on the socio economic activities of the people within the affected communities is devastating and they have lost their means of livelihood over the years. This has crippled the socio economic activities of the people who are predominantly farmers and fishermen.”
He said several attempts in the past by the federal government to provide lasting solution by constructing a retaining wall at the river bank have not yielded lasting solution, adding that, ” however relief is coming to the affected communities before the rainy season begins this year as the National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Commission (N-HYPPADEC) has agreed to construct a new retaining wall at the river Gurara bank.”
The federal legislator applauded the commission for the quick response to intervene by accepting to construct a new long lasting retaining wall to prevent the erosion from further causing disaster on the lives of the people.
In his remark, the director operation of N-HYPPADEC, Ilyasu Abdullahi Wara, identified engineering failure as the major cause of the collapsed of the initial retaining wall constructed to prevent the menace of the river.
He said the managing director of the commission, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has approved the construction of a new retaining wall to address the effect of persistent flooding affecting the communities.
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