President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate release of ₦2 billion for the reconstruction of homes destroyed by recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this known during a visit to the affected victims in Mokwa town, Mokwa Local Government Area, on Wednesday.
He assured the victims that the Federal Government would attend to the concerns raised by those impacted by the flood.
“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,” he said. “All issues raised will be addressed by the Federal Government in collaboration with the Niger government.”
Shettima added that the President had directed the Ministers of Environment and State for Agriculture to relocate to Niger State to oversee immediate intervention through the ACRSAL project, focusing on drainage issues in the town.
He also announced that 20 trucks of food items had been approved by President Tinubu for distribution to actual victims, with support from the Village Head of Mokwa.
Shettima commended the Deputy Governor of Niger and the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their prompt response to the crisis.
Deputy Governor Mr Yakubu Garba appealed for swift intervention to mitigate the impact of the disaster, revealing that more than 2,000 houses had been destroyed. He said the victims were currently sheltering with host families and noted that the state had land available for building new homes.
“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 during rainfall,” he said. “The bridge needs to be fixed.”
Earlier, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, urged the Federal Government to expedite road projects in Mokwa and across the state. He highlighted an ongoing road bypass project that had stalled over compensation issues.
He also appealed for the completion of several road networks, including the Mokwa-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna road, Lambata-Bida road, Bida-Patigi road, and Agaie-Match Boro roads. In addition, he called for an ecological team to be deployed to address urgent environmental concerns in the town.
Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, the Village Head of Mokwa (Ndalile of Mokwa), expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its continued support following the disaster.
(NAN)