Floods destroy 400,000 farmlands, 36,000 houses in Jigawa

Posted by admin Headlines, Jigawa, State News Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

No fewer than 400,000 farmlands and 36,000 houses have been destroyed by floods in Jigawa, the Chairman of the state Flood Control Committee, Alhaji Abdulkadir Jinjiri, said.

Meanwhile, over 750 persons have been rendered homeless in Kaduna, following a heavy rainfall in the state which swept away more than 300 homes.

Jinjiri, who gave the figure when the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flood, Hadiza Mailafiya, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Sule Lamido on Monday in Dutse, lamented the development.

He said floods wreaked havoc in the 18 local governments, saying the displaced persons were either being haboured by relatives or had taken refuge in public buildings.

Mailafiya, who is also the Minister of Environment, said the Federal Government had constituted a high-powered committee to visit and study the extent of damage caused by floods in all the affected states.

She said the flood disaster was a source of serious concern to the government.

The minister said, “President Goodluck Jonathan is worried about the flood disaster in the country and will do everything to assist the displaced persons.”

Lamido attributed the perennial flooding in the state to the overflow of water from the Hadejia-Jama’are River.

Areas mostly affected by the Kaduna floods are in Ungwan Romi and the Romi river bank.

One of the victims, Lucky Inanse, said the incident was his second tradegy as according to him, his house was burnt during the crisis that followed the bombing of three Churches in Zaria and Kaduna.

“During the April 2011 post-election violence, mobs burnt my house in Zaria. All my belongings were burnt. It was my own house,” he said.

Also, Mrs. Iketum Owoicho Adaje, a widow, lamented what would be her fate as flood submerged their home, rendering her and a family of six homeless.

Village Head of Gonin-Gora, Mr. Yusuf Doma said no fewer than 60 buildings were affected 180 families in his area alone. These people, he said were taking refuge at relatives houses at the moment.

Confirming the incident, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Ishaku Makama, said it was so disturbing that the flood had wreaked havoc in the state despite consistent government warning. He, however, assured the victims that the relevant agencies would come to the aid of those affected soon.

-Punchwp_posts