Kebbi State Executive Council has constituted a 16-member committee to act quickly and decisively, to lessen the effect of an impending flood in some local government areas of the state.
This is the outcome of the weekly meeting of the council held in Birnin Kebbi.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmad Birnin Kebbi, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the governor has ordered immediate proactive measures, to forestall unfortunate consequences.
He said the government is aware of the enormous devastation caused by flooding elsewhere and though the state is taking the step based on forecast, it cannot afford to be complacent.
He added that a comprehensive warning from NEMA of an impending flooding from waters outside Nigeria that would hit Kebbi is the reason behind the setting up of the high-powered committee under the chairmanship of the Deputy Governor, Umar Tafida.
The Nigeria Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) had warned that from Central Guinea, the Futa Jalon Highland Region, Rivers Senegal, Gambia and Niger could be the sources of water to flow into other countries, including Nigeria.
The prediction indicates that Kebbi will be the first on the firing line, with Bunza Local Government Area of the state likely to suffer the most impact.
Yakubu Ahmad said that the committee has been given the task of identifying sources of the impending flood, communities to be affected, liaise with religious and community leaders to enable the government to lessen the difficulties therein, and if necessity evacuate endangered communities to higher ground.
(Editor: Okechukwu Eze)
