From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) has commenced distribution of relief materials to victims of flood arising from release of water from hydroelectric power generating dams in the country.

Engr Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, Managing Director of HYPPADEC who flaged off first phase of the distribution on Saturday in Koton-Karfe, said 113 households from communities in the 10 affected Local Government Areas made the first list.

The Managing Director was represented by Jimoh Haruna Gabi, Director, Finance and Administration in the Commission

Yelwa (Katukan Yauri) said the exercise was in response to the devastations caused by flooding of the riverine communities by water released from hydroelectric generating dams in the last two weeks.

He said that the Commission was created basically to ameliorate the pains of community members whose means of livelihood were affected by the floods.

“You will recall that the commission was created to address ecological challenges bedeviling HYPPADEC member states due to operations of the dams.

“We cannot do less than what we have done. We feel their pains, when they sneeze, we catch cold and that is why we are here to identify with them in this unfortunate incident”, he said.

The Managing Director however, called on Kogi State government to upscale its awareness and enlightenment campaigns to riverine communities to educate them, using technical information to avert or minimise effects of floods.

“This advice became necessary because of the frequency of flooding in our communities.

“Flood is almost inevitable but we can control it to minimise the level of devastations. As the wise ones will say, Prevention is better than cure.

“Today, we have brought here relief materials that represent a widow’s mite of the commission. It is not as if we can really feed everybody but we have shown kind gesture to everybody. “, he said.

The HYPPADEC Managing Director however expressed appreciation to Governor Yahaya Bello for always being there for the Commission adding, “In all our programmes, the governor has never failed us.”

Mr Victor Adewale Omofaiye, the Kogi state Commissioner for Environment speaking at the occasion said HYPPADEC had become a household name.

He commended Governor Bello for being part of the force that brought HYPPADEC into being saying that the Commission was making positive impact in 10 Local Governments Areas of the state including Adavi, Koton-Karfe, Idah, Ibaji, Omala, Lokoja, Bassa, Igalamela-Odolu, Ofu and Ajaokuta.

Speaking earlier, the Ohimege-Igu of Koton-Karfe, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Sani Isa-Koto regretted that flooding had become a recurring decimal particularly in Kogi Local Government as most of the settlements were riverine on the banks of Rivers Niger and Benue.

“So Any time there is flooding, we are always at the receiving end. As I speak with you today virtually all the riverine communities in Kogi Local Government are no more. They have relocated.

“Today as we speak, we have lost our farmlands our properties our houses. So, our happiness is in these palliatives that we are receiving today.

“So, we are appealing to the State Government to support the victims to relocate. The land is available. We have provided land”, the Ohimege said.

In her remarks, Engr Joan Ogwuche, Kogi State Coordinator of HYPPADEC said the relief materials were meant to cushion the excruciating conditions of members of the affected communities and expressed the hope that they would be judiciously utilised.

The relief materials include mattresses, rice, millet, beans, noodles, detergents as well as a medical outreach to diseases and ailments arising from the effects of the flood which has consistently devastated the communities in the last two weeks.