How rainfall brought tears, sorrow to Kebbi residents
Almost eight days after heavy rainfall wrecked Birnin Kebbi communities its residents are still counting their losses. The rainfall of penultimate Tuesday destroyed over 1,300 houses and other properties worth billions of naira, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.
Some of the worst hit areas include Badariya, Bayan -Kara, Aliero quarters, Gesse Housing Estate, Rafin-Atiku, Makera GwanduTsohon -Gari, Tsohon-Tasha and GRA.
Flood in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital has become a perennial disaster. During Senator Adamu Aliero’s administration, it was gathered that efforts were made to curtail it by creating water channels in specific areas of the town, particularly Rafin -Atiku, which is known to be a major flash point. The Usman Dakingari administration also took steps to tackle the situation by awarding contract for the construction of water channels to a Chinese company, the CGC. Despite all these, the situation persists and residents of the communities have had to relive the experience on a yearly basis.
Last two weeks, a day before the Eid-el-fitr celebration, there was flooding after a heavy rainfall which lasted for over three hours. The development left many residents homeless.
When DailyTrust on Sunday visited Bayan-Kara and Rafin Atiku areas on the day of the incident, people were seen wailing and lamenting their losses.
At present, over 3,000 men, women and children are being camped in the classrooms of Salamatu Girls Secondary at the Bye-pass area of Birnin Kebbi. They were relocated there by the state government as a temporary measure to cushion the effect of the damage caused by the rain.
According to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) over 1,300 houses and properties were destroyed by the rain.
One of the affected residents of Bayan-Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, Alhaji Usman Idris, who spoke to newsmen, alleged that contractors handling some of the road projects in the state blocked drainages, thereby obstructing free flow of water. During the rain, he complained that some of the roads linking areas like Badariya, Bayan-Kara and Ahmadu Bello way were not accessible to motorists and pedestrians for many hours because they were flooded. A resident of Aliero quaters, Abdulkadir Abdul, who spoke to our correspondent expressed sadness over the incident, adding, “I think government must take urgent steps to address this situation,” he said.
Some of the displaced persons complained of neglect. They said they had expected that their immediate needs would be taken care of by the government that relocated them, but that they have had to stay for days without food and other necessary items. One of the affected people at the camp, Abdullahi Hussaini,45, while narrating his experience to our correspondent burst into tears.
“I was among the first batch of people to arrive at the camp with my two wives and nine children. My house was destroyed by the flood at Rafin Atiku area.
Since I arrived the camp with my family over three days ago, we have not been given food or any other form of assistance. Please let them know that we need help here, we are hungry. Let them give us food before any other thing. I appeal to government to come to our rescue. As I said, our immediate need is food then something to sleep on like mat or mattresses. We thank the governor for transporting us to the camp but we need food urgently”.
Fatima Shehu, 33, was also in tears while speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday. She complained of hunger in the camp. She said since they were relocated to the camp, nothing has been given to them. She said due to the development, some victims left the camp in search of food.
“It is not easy to stay without food even in your house talk- less of a place like this”, she said.
Speaking to our correspondent the acting Executive Director of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Abbas Rabiu Kamba said, “we contacted UNICEF and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and they responded promptly. The representatives of UNICEF were here and they have assessed the situation here. They even interviewed some of the displaced persons to know their immediate needs. Three days ago the Medicine Frontiers were at the camp and they promised us some medical and relief materials. After that the Doctors’ Without Borders also came to the camp with some drugs and relief materials like buckets, mosquito nets, blankets, mats and others”.
He said the state government was also doing its best to see that the needs of the IDPs are met.
“On the day the incident occurred the governor who went out to assess the situation in some of the affected areas, gave money to the victims. He also directed that food and other relief materials be made available at the camp. The first day of the incident, government provided 10 bags of rice, the second day it gave another 20 bags and the Secretary to the State Government also gave them additional 30 bags of rice,” he said.
Kamba said the well-being of the displaced persons is a major priority of the state government and that everything is being done to ensure that they are comfortable.
“We had to set up a clinic for them the very day they were relocated here and we have been contacting relevant humanitarian agencies to support us.
A few days after the flood incident, officials of the Doctors’ Without Borders visited the displaced persons where they are being and donated drugs and other items to them”, he said.
The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Health, Doctor Muhammed Atiku Kende, told our correspondent that immediately the displaced people were relocated the state government and its ministry of health moved into action to ensure that the health of the men, women and children at the camp were protected.
“We moved in our medical personnel there. We have our doctors and nurses stationed there to take care of the displaced people. A clinic was set up there for them and we have as well procured adequate drugs and other medical facilities to ensure their safety at the camp”.
Following the flood incident, the officials of Kebbi Urban Development Authority (KUDA) have started the evacuation of debris in the water channels, canals and culverts within the township. One of the officials of the government agency who spoke to our correspondent said the exercise followed a government directive.
“When we are done with this we will create new water channels at some of the flash points and flood prone places in the town,” he said.
The Commissioner for Land and Housing, Alhaji Abubakar Ladan said the government was aware of the flood and is currently taking steps to curtail it. He assured the affected people that government was committed to tackling the issue and would assist those affected by the disaster.
During a visit to some of the affected areas at Bayan-kara, Governor Atiku Bagudu said he had directed the office of the Commissioner for Land and Housing to collate names of the affected people with a view to assisting them.