HYPPADEC donates relief materials to flood victims in Kebbi
The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) donated relief materials to flood victims in four local government areas of Kebbi on Saturday.
The relief materials were 795 bags of assorted grains, 1,325 mattresses, 1,060 blankets, 2,659 insecticide-treated mosquito nets, 265 cartons each of laundry and bath soaps and 100 bundles of roofing sheets.
Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, presented the materials at the flag off of the donation in Shanga Local Government Area.
He said three severely-affected communities in the local government area would get additional relief of 88 bags of rice, 88 bags of millets and 88 bags of maize.
“From the entire relief materials the three communities will get 353 blankets, 441 mattresses, 883 mosquito nets, 78 cartons of laundry soap, 87 cartons of bath soap and 33 bundles of roofing sheets,’’ he said.
The three communities would also get three million cash assistance, he added.
Sadiq-Yelwa said the donation was part of the continuous collaboration between the agency and Kebbi government.
“We sympathy with you and we are here to flag off the distribution of relief materials to flood victims in Shanga, Koko/Besse, Bagudo and Dandi Local Government Areas of the state.
“It is our responsibility to collaborate with the state government to provide you with relief materials to cushion the effects of the flood,’’ he said.
Sadiq-Yelwa said the commission had deployed health personnel to render free medical services to victims for three days.
He added that the commission had also approved contract for the preparation of 1,805 communities away from the flood plain and had started providing solar-powered boreholes in the communities.
This, he explained, was designed to attract people in flood-prone areas to the upland.
“Riverine communities will benefit from this initiative. We have 1,805 communities in Nigeria under HYPPADEC’s scheme and all these 1,805 communities will have wells using hand pumps.
“In addition to that, we have also started the rehabilitation of existing hand-pumps in many communities.
“Some of the hand-pumps required between N100,000 and N200,000 expenditure to make them functional.
“We have already awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of 350 of such pumps. We shall award fresh contracts for 350 others after the first set have been completed.
“By the end of the year, we would have been able to address the problem of 1,805 communities,’’ Sadiq-Yelwa said.
Responding, Chairman of Shanga Local Government Council, Alhaji Aminu Suleiman, commended the Commission for the gesture.
He said the relief materials would go a long way to alleviate the sufferings of the flood victims. (NAN)