By Fatima Saka
The Federal Government through the Ecological Project Office (EPO) has intervened on the devastating erosion which had ravaged both communities and claimed several lives and properties over the years in Ladanai and Tsamiya Babba towns in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Permanent Secretary, EPO, Mr. Shehu Ibrahim, made this disclosure on Monday in Kano, during an interactive session when he visited the state.
The Permanent Secretary expressed satisfaction with the work done by the contractor and stated that the intervention had ended the 40 years of the agony due to the perennial erosion and flood menace experienced by the people in time past
Ibrahim said he was excited that the locals in both communities had returned to their lands and farming businesses after decades of being chased away due to the ecological challenge.
Speaking to reporters during the tour, some of the locals including Malam Shamsu Adam and Abdullahi Awal commended the government through EPO for the intervention.
According to Mrs. Eno Olotu, Deputy Director of Press at the Office, the affected sites include 1.5km accelerated gully erosion works with a 1.2km road side reinforcement drainage,1km collector drains with over 200,000sq meter reclamation of eroded land at Ladanai Community in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to the community leader the people have heaved a sigh of relief and expressed deep appreciation to the government.
“The truth be told, the Federal Government has done us well by executing this project and thus averted the frequent deaths of our children often swept away during the massive flooding and also the loss of property in times past. Now we are living in peace and have returned to our ancestral lands,” he said.
The contractor, UYK Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Usman Kansila, said the company deployed its technical expertise in executing this project with the success story in tackling the challenge. He attested to the quality of work done and confirmed that the project has squarely tackled the flooding menace, adding that the project would stand the test of time.
Other projects inspected by the Permanent Secretary included the; Erosion and Flood Control Works at Tundun Murtala Graveyard at Nasarawa Local Government Area, Kano State where residents disclosed that before the intervention, corpses of their dead were often washed away during the flooding.
Also inspected were the flood control works to link the main water channel and the Kwargwan pond, drainage, concrete and road reclamation works covering about 7 km in Daura, Katsina State. He rounded off his tour of the projects at Sharggalle, Sirika in Katsina State.
While in Daura, the Permanent Secretary paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Daura, HRH, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar, in his palace.
He said the visit was to appeal to the monarch to admonish the people to take ownership of the project so as to enable them maintain it appropriately for their benefits, adding that government projects are meant for the people and to improve their livelihood.
The monarch extolled the Federal Government for intervening in the ecological challenge particularly in reclaiming the Kwargwam Pond and the extensive 7km drainage and road improvement works in the community.
He assured the Permanent Secretary that the project will be well maintained.
