06/09/2024
Gummi Flooding: Victims relocation, long awaiting opportunity.
Water flooding is a serious environmental and economic Issue within the society. This typically refers to the inundation of land by excess water, often due to heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, or blocked drainage systems. It can have severe consequences for both the environment and human communities as one can testify in Gummi town and its environs.
This disaster has environmental and economic Impacts such as habitat destruction, soil erosion, contamination, and climate change among others. While economic Impacts are property damage, disruption of daily life, agricultural losses, and Insurance claims.
The recent flooding in Gummi town and its environs has caused a lot of damages ranging from farm produce, domestic animals, human lives, and buildings just to mention but a few.
According to reports by news media across the country, many people sympathized with the people of Gummi and the government of Zamfara state over the disaster.
Some philanthropists and politicians donated different kinds of properties for the victims of the flood. People like Senator Abdul Azeez Abubakar Yari, Shattiman Zamfara, Hon. Muhammad Bello Matawallen Maradun State minister for Defense, Hon, Aminu Sani Jaji, and Hon. Mukhtar Idris Kogunan Gusau among others.
As part of its effort to support the victims of the disaster, the Zamfara state Government under the able leadership of, Dr. Dauda Lawal, has pronounced that, the new layout will be provided for the victims of the flood.
This is a welcome development and indeed it is a long awaiting effort even though Former Governor, and Senator representing Zamfara west senatorial district, Abdul Azeez Yari as part of his donation promised to rebuild all the houses destroyed by the flood, yes, the state government can go ahead with its plan to relocate them to another layout and safer place.
However, according to the state government the layout will be an internally displaced persons camp, (IDP).
We want to draw the attention of the state government, that the new layout should be allocated to the victims on owner-occupier basis, not an IDP camp. Before the ex*****on of the project, the state government should provide a master plan including road network, electricity, water supply for the layout.
The Zamfara state government should provide another alternative route for the river that causes the annual flooding in Gummi to avert the future occurrence of the disaster.
The Zamfara state government and all stakeholders should put in their minds that Gummi town and some environs like Gayari, Gyalenge among others need a professional land survey with a view to providing lasting solution for the causes of the flood. The local government headquarters (Gummi) should have new town planning with alternate water ways.
Gummi local government area has been the political architectures of Zamfara being a litmus paper for electioneering campaigns across the parties.
Since there is this intent by the Zamfara state government, there is need to liaise with the several stakeholders like NGOs, Politicians, Emirate council philanthropists to work out modalities to rebuild all the destroyed houses because of the flood for the betterment of the people of Gummi local government area.
