From Stanley Mijah, Yola
Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Fintiri has vowed to clampdown on violators of the state’s development plan by erecting physical infrastructure on waterways.
This threat followed the recent devastation caused by flood within Yola metropolis which claimed no fewer than 23 lives, destroyed property worth millions of naira with 55 residents sustaining various degrees of injuries.
Reacting to the cause of the flooding at Shagari Phase II, Tashan Sani, Sabon Pegi, Anguwan Tabo, Modirre, Ummare, Yolde-Pate, Sanda Fadama II and Ibnu Abbas after an unusual downpour which lasted for over 10 hours, the governor directed the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to provide immediate relief to victims of the flood.
The governor also visited Bole Dam and the mining site to determine its influence on the flood, following widespread claims that the flooding might have been caused by mining and the rising level of water in the dam.
The governor expressed concern over the circumstances behind the flood and assured residents that no individual found to have erected structures on the waterways would be spared no matter his status in the society.
Some of the victims of the flood disaster who spoke to AljazirahNigeria commended the swift response of the state government and the intervention of security operatives who conducted rescue and evacuation operations to save lives.
They called on the state government to find lasting solution to the perennial flood.
Meanwhile, the state government has expressed dissatisfaction with the unsavory remarks from certain leaders, particularly former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that government had neglected its people and exhibited signs of failure in addressing the recent flood in the state, describing the statement as a complete contradiction to the general response, cash and logistics support provided by the state government during and after the flood.
