President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦2 billion for the immediate reconstruction of homes destroyed by the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this known on Wednesday during a visit to the affected communities in Mokwa town, located in Mokwa Local Government Area.
Shettima conveyed the President’s sympathy to the victims and assured them that the Federal Government would promptly address the concerns raised.
“The President specifically instructed me to visit Mokwa and commiserate with the people over this tragic event. His thoughts are with those affected,” Shettima said.
He added that the Federal Government, in partnership with the Niger State Government, would work to resolve the challenges faced by victims.
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Shettima further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the Minister of Environment and the Minister of State for Agriculture to relocate to Niger State for immediate intervention on drainage issues in Mokwa under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.
In addition, the President approved the deployment of 20 trucks of food items for distribution to verified victims, in collaboration with the Village Head of Mokwa.
He praised the Deputy Governor of Niger State and the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their swift and proactive response.
In his remarks, the state’s Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, appealed for urgent Federal Government support to mitigate the effects of the disaster.
“We are deeply concerned by the extent of damage. We commend NEMA for its prompt response, but we urgently need federal intervention. Four bridges have collapsed, disrupting socio-economic activities, particularly in Rabba, where students cannot cross into Mokwa during the rainy season. These bridges must be rebuilt,” he said.
Garba noted that over 2,000 houses were destroyed and many victims were currently being sheltered by others. He added that the state had land available for housing reconstruction.
Earlier, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, also called for Federal Government intervention in ongoing and abandoned road projects in Mokwa and across the state.
He mentioned that a major bypass project around Mokwa had stalled due to compensation issues, and urged the Federal Government to expedite the work.
He also appealed for the completion of the Mokwa-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna road, Lambata-Bida road, Bida-Pategi road, and Agaie-Matchi-Boro roads, and called for the deployment of an ecological team to address environmental concerns in the area.
The Village Head of Mokwa (Ndalile of Mokwa), Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its continued support since the onset of the disaster.
