By Mohammed Mohammed
The people of Ladanai and Tsamiya Babba towns in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State have heaved a big sigh of relief and expressed deep appreciation to the Federal Government through the Ecological Project Office (EPO) following the urgent Intervention through the Ecological Project Office (EPO), on the devastating gully erosion which had ravaged both communities and claimed several lives and properties over the years.
This was revealed when the Permanent Secretary, EPO, Mr. Shehu Ibrahim, when he visited the state, Monday, 13th as part of his on-going tour of ecological projects across the country.
The scope of the project according to Mrs. Eno Olotu, Deputy Director of Press at the Office, 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.
The Permanent Secretary, she added expressed satisfaction with the work done by the contractor and stated that the intervention has ended the 40years 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 have 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 government through EPO for the intervention.
According to them, (speaking in Hausa) and translated thus, “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”. They further said, “now we are living in peace and have returned to our ancestral lands”.
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, assuring that the project will stand the test of time.
Other projects inspected by the Permanent Secretary included the; Erosion and Flood Control Works at Tundun Murtala Grave Yard at Nasarawa Local Government Area, Kano State where residents disclosed that before the intervention, corpses of their dead were often wash 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 7km in Daura, Kastina State. He rounded up his tour of the projects at Sharggalle, Sirika in Kastina State.
While in Daura, the Permanent Secretary paid a courtesy visit on 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.
The Permanent Secretary was accompanied on the tour by Directors; Pollution Control, Mr. Clinton Iqwe, Soil Erosion and Flood Control, Abubakar Takuma, Director, Special Duties, Yakubu Habu and Director, Drought Desertification and Coastal Zone Management Department, Haruna Bello.