(Governor Uba Sani. Photo by Wikipedia)
A N34 billion flood and gully erosion prevention project in Kaduna State was launched on Friday by Governor Uba Sani, who also announced that at least 1,000 residents whose property will be impacted by the intervention would get around N2 billion in compensation.
The project, which spans Tudun Wada in Kaduna South Local Government Area and Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area, is anticipated to address gully erosion and persistent flooding that have killed people, destroyed homes, and damaged infrastructure in the impacted communities for more than 40 years.
Speaking at the groundbreaking event in Rigasa, the governor declared that his administration would continue to put citizens’ welfare first by making sure that compensation was given before any property was destroyed for public projects.
“This government has pledged to refrain from demolishing anyone’s property until sufficient compensation has been paid.”
For this reason, we paid N2 billion in compensation to around 1,000 people whose homes will be impacted by the project today.
“As a government, we have pledged that the average person will not be taken advantage of in any way,” stated Sani.
He said that the project would cost more than N34 billion and called it Northern Nigeria’s first extensive flood and gully erosion prevention intervention.
The governor further disclosed that since taking office, his administration had compensated property owners impacted by numerous government initiatives with more than N5 billion.
“We provide compensation even before we start a project or build a road. In an effort to help people improve, we don’t want to ruin their means of subsistence,” he stated.
Sani emphasized that development should protect lives and livelihoods in addition to physical infrastructure.
“Development is not just about building structures; it is also about protecting communities, restoring dignity, and securing our people’s future,” he stated.
The residents of Rigasa and Tudun Wada have endured the agonizing effects of flooding and gully erosion for a long time.
Families have witnessed homes vanish beneath rising floods and crumbling terrain.
“Dreams have been postponed, livelihoods disrupted, farmlands destroyed, and vital infrastructure damaged.”
As a result, this intervention is transformative in addition to being timely.
The governor claims that when the project is finished, it will significantly lessen flooding and land degradation while safeguarding residences, public infrastructure, and financial assets in the impacted towns.
He went on to say that the intervention will bring environmental stability back and offer long-term relief to locals who had been living under constant fear of flooding.
Abubakar Buba, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, had earlier praised the governor for making calculated investments to shield vulnerable areas from environmental dangers.
He said that the 17.8-kilometer Rigasa-Tudun Wada erosion control project would greatly enhance both the socioeconomic well-being of the locals residing along the project corridor and the environmental circumstances.
He claims that the intervention will also make Kaduna one of Nigeria’s top states in terms of environmental sustainability.