Kwara Loses N10bn to Flooding

15,000 residents displaced

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday disclosed that the state has lost investments estimated to be worth between N5 billion and N10 billion to flooding.

AbdulRahman, who made this disclosure while briefing journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said the flood had also displaced 15,000 persons.

The governor said no fewer than 5,000 houses were also destroyed by rainstorm while hectares of land had been destroyed by flood.

According to him, he was in the Presidential Villa to brief the president on ecological challenges troubling his state, adding that the state needs support.

"We have about 5,000 houses and thousands of hectares of farmlands are under water. Close to about 10,000 to 15,000 people are already displaced so far. So, it’s straining the state’s economy. That is why we need virtual aid," he said.

Asked about the estimated value of the losses, he said, "we are checking about N5 to N10 billion in losses."

He added: "I came to the president, among other things, to discuss ecological and developmental issues, and over the weekend, we had huge rainstorm that destroyed about 5,000 houses in the state capital.

"We had huge flooding in Kwara North and the bank of River Niger. There are a lot of internally displaced people at the bank of River Niger and in the state capital. The state needs virtual aid to abate the crisis."

On efforts the government had made to cushion the effects of the disaster on the state, he said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Kwara State Emergency Management Agency had promptly moved in to put the situation under control.

He also said the relevant authorities are collecting data while CACOVID has has provided some palliatives to victims.

"Immediately it started, we have NEMA on ground and State Emergency Management Agency. The first thing we do is to collate data.

"We have been collating data. And from today, palliatives have started going out. We also thank God because of some of food donated by CACOVID to Kwara State.

"Some of them are in the warehouse. So, they are very handful and useful in what we are doing," he added.