Flood: Monarch Wants FG To Include Jigawa Among Worst Hit States
The paramount ruler of Auyo Local Government in Hadejia Emirate, Jigawa, Alhaji Umar Baffa, has called on the Federal Government to include Jigawa among the states that were recently devastated with flood.
Baffa made the request in an interview with newsmen in his palace in Auyo town on Sunday.
He said the call was necessary in view of the devastation caused by the disaster in the entire area. He noted that many lives were lost while farmlands animals, schools, industries, government offices; were submerged by flood across Jigawa.
“Nobody will know the degree of havoc done to us, unless someone comes and see the situation practically hence the need to include the state among the states that were devastated by flood became imperative.
“For instance here in Auyo, the flood has submerged the biggest and oldest primary school built by the colonial administration in 1930 where most of our prominent sons and daughters did their elementary school.
“The road that linked us with Kafin Hausa, headquarters of kafin Hausa Local Government of the state and even beyond was cut off by the flood. “People from other places cannot come to us and we cannot go to them because we are completely cut off from each other.
“As you can see the whole of my domain is completely submerged, many lives, farmlands and property were lost to flood. “We really thanked the state government for the palliatives and quick intervention over the situation.
“This problem is beyond our state, we are appealing to the federal government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to please come to our rescue.
“We are also appealing to Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other relevant agencies, local and international to please assist us. “As you can observe people have deserted this area taking refuge in various internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) around the state because of the pathetic situation.
“If we get assistance, people will definitely come back and start a new life, we are agrarian settlement noted for wet and dry season farming.” he explained. Meanwhile the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Jigawa has sympathized with victims of flood disaster across the state.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Dutse on Sunday, the NLC chairman Malam Usman Yau prayed for the repose of those who died in the disaster and the families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“May the Almighty Allah give the families of the deceased the courage and fortitude to bear the great loss, ” the NLC chairman said. He also appealed to the State, Federal and NGOs to come to the aid of the victims of the flood disaster in the state.
