MINNA — FOUR states, Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and Kogi states have alerted the federal government of severe flooding in their states and asked President Olusegun Obasanjo to expedite action over the proposed Niger River Development Commission (NRDC) to take over from the former HYPPADEC bill.
The technical committee of the four states rose from an emergency meeting in Minna, Niger state to discuss on the abandoned HYPPADEC bill and the new proposal of President Obasanjo over the annual problem.
Secretary to Niger state government, Comrade Muhammed Adams Erena who spoke on behalf of his colleagues said the meeting was to harmonise their stand over the new bill being proposed by the president to take over from the HYPPADEC.
He said the four states will look at the two bills and know which of them represents the overall interest of people of their states who are always at the receiving end.
Comrade Erena said between this month and next, the communities along the riverine areas of the rivers would be subjected to another season of untold hardship and called on the federal government to act immediately.
They called on the federal government to take inputs from the four states affected before making any conclusion on the bill pointing out that they are in the best position to make input since they have knowledge of what their communities are passing through.
“As much as we appreciate what President Olusegun Obasanjo is doing, we the benefitting states cannot fold our hands and watch while something that will not favour us is passed into law”, the SSG remarked.
According to Erena, the visit of President Obasanjo to the affected areas by air some months ago might not be enough as he only saw a glimpse of the problems saying,” whatever he may have in mind for the people may not ultimately meet their needs.” It would be recalled that the National Assembly passed the HYPPADEC bill last year but was not passed to the president for his accent.
However, President Obasanjo took time off few months ago to personally visit the affected areas by air after which he proposed the Niger River Development Commission (NRDC) to take over from the earlier HYPPADEC. According to the president, the states would benefit much from the new proposal than the former HYPPADEC. Only Kebbi state SSG was not present at the yesterday’s meeting.
