The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was established on Wednesday August 21st, 2019 headed by Sadiya Umar Farouk, by an Executive pronouncement by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, H. E., Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) at the inauguration of Ministers for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
One of the mandate of the Ministry is to develop humanitarian policies and provide effective coordination of National and International humanitarian interventions; ensure strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness and response; as well as managing the formulation and implementation of fair focused social inclusion and protection programs in Nigeria. As it was published on the Ministry’s website.
Hon. Minister, permit me to remind you, that following the flood disaster in 2018, over 120,000 hectares of farmlands were destroyed while a number of villages were also submerged, in Jigawa state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources Alhaji Kabiru Ali, said “Most of the crops along the river banks including rice, sourghum, cowpea, groundnut and millet were destroyed by the flood.
He added that “A lot of villages were submerged, schools were closed and in some areas, classrooms were half full with water,“
Although you were not being appointed at that time, but your Boss President Muhammadu Buhari, has done nothing to address the challenges, and no enough intervention was provided to the victims.
Similarly in 2019, flood washed away thousands of farmlands in the state without taken any proactive measure to address the menaces.
During your visits to Jigawa state you said, the federal government will find a lasting solution to the perennial flooding in the State.
You said: “It is a well-known fact that Jigawa State is one of the major food producers in the country, with the citizens largely engaging in farming activities.
You added that “However, the frequent incidents of flooding have continued to threaten their output and potentials.
According to you “the ministry has taken note of this and is working with stakeholders towards finding a solution to this perennial problem.”
As you promised earlier, A total of 400 trucks of assorted fertilizers have arrived Jigawa State for distribution to farmers in the State for this year’s (2020) farming season, but unfortunately yet to reach the victims, as this fertilizers had been directed to the hands of politicians. The 14 local governments who benefits from the fertilizers include; Taura Jahun, Ringim, Miga, Gagarawa, Kaugama, Auyo and Kafin Hausa. Others are Hadejia, Kirikasamma, Birniwa, Guri, Dutse, Birnin kudu, and Gwaram.
This year 2020, the floods that have affected various communities in the past few months have caused at least 40 deaths, officials have said.
The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said the deaths occurred in about 19 local government areas of the state.
The floods are also the worst in the state since 1988, residents and state officials told Newsmen, amidst fears the floods could worsen Nigeria’s current food insufficiency that has led to an increase in prices of basic food like rice.
I could remember, Alhaji Hamza Muhammad, special assistant to Governor Muhammad Badaru on community development and social inclusion, said this year’s flood is the worst since 1988 with Hadejia emirate as the worst affected area.
He listed the affected local governments as Buji, Hadejia, Ringim, Taura, Jahun, Miga, MalamMadori, Auyo, Kafin Hausa and Guri.
Others include Gwaram, Kiyawa, Kaugama, Birnin kudu, Kirikasamma, Garki and Babura.
According to him SEMA has so far distributed 30 canoes to communities affected by the flood, as well as materials to the affected communities to build embankments in order to control the water.
To be candid, your ministry is not doing its best to prevent the flood, as no directive was given to the government officials to conduct a survey in flood-prone areas of the state.
The residents of the affected communities re-affirmed that your ministry and state government are not doing enough to tackle the menace.
Even the President Muhammadu Buhari, has lamented that the impact of the flood has affected food production in Jigawa, and Nigeria, especially rice production.
That is why Jigawa is one of the states that has benefitted most from the federal government’s Anchors Borrowers Programme to assist farmers boost rice production in the country. Officials could not give the exact number of farmlands and houses that were destroyed by the flood but said the damage is unprecedented while assessment is ongoing.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, President Buhari, on Tuesday, sympathized with the victims of the flood while assuring them of federal government’s intervention. But your ministry has failed to sympathize with victims, no intervention at all from your ministry or your parastatals.
Let me remind you, that your ministry has discharged the 500,000 Npower beneficiaries across the country, including my state, Jigawa in which 3,157 N-power beneficiaries were recruited in the first batch while 8,846 recruited in the second batch totaling 11,603, were disengaged without any benefit.
Please forgive us, so that we can receive your attention, Jigawa people need your intervention and attention seriously.
Habibu Idris Kafin Hausa writes from Jigawa state.
