About 150 communities in Niger state have been submerged and are now under water as a result of flood.
State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, disclosed that 20 out of the 25 local government areas in the state are affected by the flood occasioned by heavy rainfall this year.
The governor who spoke with journalists in Minna on Tuesday said the magnitude of the disaster is now beyond the capability of the government and therefore called for intervention from the federal government and international agencies.
The governor however blamed the development on the opening of the spillway gates of the Kainji dam which he said was spilling over 6000 metric litres of water every second in addition to similar development by two other dams Shiroro and Jebba the first of such action in the history of the state.
He lamented that the N80billion investment by Sunti Sugar company in the state has been washed away by flood rendering several hundreds of farmers and staff of the company jobless.
The Governor said the findings was as a result of the outcome of four different committees sent round the state to assess the extent of the flood pointing out that some people are reported to have died as a result of the incidents.
He said the state have been crying out but no one appears to be listening.
He therefore suggested the establishment of “Special Intervention Fund” to support the state in addition to asking the federal government to make the Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission a reality adding that he has already started consulting the governors of Kwara, Kebbi, and Kogi states on how to ensure the immediate takeoff of the Commission.
